Sport

Cricket: Windies face more than a northerly at the Basin Reserve

08:54 am on 11 December 2020

A lot of things will have to change for the West Indies to win the second cricket test against New Zealand starting at the Basin Reserve in Wellington today.

Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2020 www.photosport.nz

The New Zealanders scored a convincing innings and 134 run victory inside 4 days in Hamilton last weekend.

On the back of a man-of-the match double century from skipper Kane Williamson and another combined effort from the pace attack the Black Caps were in control of the first test from as soon as they were asked to bat.

However Williamson won't be leading the way in Wellington after he returned home to Tauranga on Thursday night to be with his expectant wife.

Tom Latham will captain the team, with Will Young taking Williamson's place as a batsman.

The local pitches generally have few demons past the first session and that should be the same at the Basin Reserve despite a week of rain in the capital.

Coach Gary Stead says they generally know what to expect from what is a unique ground.

"I can probably count on one hand the number of calm days I've had here in Wellington so it's definitely a ground teams can struggle with because of the factors of the wind, the environment, the changing pitch conditions as well."

"One of the things we pride ourselves on is the ability to adapt in those situations."

That ability to adapt has meant that New Zealand is currently on a 14 test unbeaten streak at home.

The West Indies last won a test in New Zealand 25 years ago when they had the likes of Brian Lara and Curtly Ambrose in the side.

The current team comes no where near that calibre... and for years now they've been unable to produce a solid batting top order.

Neil Wagner Photo: PhotoSport / Andrew Cornaga

Captain Jason Holder says they aren't as bad as that first test result might suggest....

"We've got to be confident, there's no point coming into this game if we're not confident."

"We've all got a part to play and we've all got a role to play and more or less we've just got to slow it down, we've just got to be a little bit more patient and be a bit clearer than we were in the first test and just into this match in a good frame of mind."

The Windies assistant coach Roddy Estwick is a bit more earnest in his view believing they can no longer hide behind inexperience.

"The boys have been around now most of them for 30-odd test matches, most of them are 27-28 (in age) and now the peak years are ahead of them and they've got to put in a peak performance."

"If you want to be remembered as one of the better players of the West Indies you've got to start performing and start performing quickly."

As for the homeside, since 2011 New Zealand has played 13 tests at the Basin Reserve, winning 6 of them with 5 draws and 2 losses.

Neil Wagner will play his 50 test today... he's coming off a six wicket haul in Hamilton that helped him to a career high number two in the Test bowling rankings.

Despite his success, Wagner says the pace attack as a whole that also includes, Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson, work well together.

"At the end of the day one guy might have the accolades or get the rewards for it, but we know as a group it's what everyone puts in and so this next game it could be someone else."

Jermaine Blackwood Photo: PHOTOSPORT

"I think that's the nice thing about this group of bowlers is that we know everyone can chip in and do a match winning performance on the day and we know what's required from us and it's been a pretty special unit to work with."

Someone who has a great view of the attack of Boult, Southee and Wagner is wicket keeper BJ Watling.

Watling is back after missing the first test with a hamstring injury.

"It's impressive the way they go about their work and swing the ball and set up batsmen in our conditions so the way they've gone about their work as a group they all do different things and they all have different skills sets that challenge batsmen and those skill sets have become better and more accurate over time.

In their last test against the West Indies at the Basin Reserve, in 2017, New Zealand won by an innings and 67 runs with Neil Wagner the man of the match with nine wickets, while the Black Caps piled on more than 500 runs in their one turn at bat.

The prospects of something similar this time are very strong.