New Zealand’s miserable form in the Caribbean continued as they were bowled out for 260 on the first day of the second Test in Kingston, Jamaica, on Thursday.
Paceman Kemar Roach took four for 70 and fellow quick Tino Best chipped in with 2-40 as the West Indies removed the tourists for a modest score on a decent track at Sabina Park.
It was a poor batting display from the Kiwis, who had been 161-3 before a collapse, that leaves them with a real fight to avoid a whitewash in the two-Test series.
West Indies openers Chris Gayle and Kieran Powell had to negotiate five overs before the close and they reached 11-0 by stumps.
Darren Sammy won the toss and asked New Zealand to bat, and the West Indies skipper’s decision was rewarded with two early wicket, B.J. Watling (2) the first to go when he edged Roach to Gayle at slip.
Brendon McCullum (0) soon followed when he was caught behind off a fine delivery from Best, who was in for the injured Ravi Rampaul, leaving New Zealand struggling at 11-2.
Martin Guptill and skipper Ross Taylor got their heads down and put on a much-needed 103-run partnership, taking the sting out of the West Indies attack and proving that the track was comfortable enough to bat on.
Best, generating real pace, got the crucial breakthrough when Taylor (60) tried to cut a rising delivery and thick edged to Denesh Ramdin behind the stumps.
Guptill has been one of the few bright elements in a poor tour for the Kiwis, who were also convincingly beaten in the one-day series, and he moved on to his third consecutive half-century.
However, at the other end, Kane Williamson was teased into edging spinner Narsingh Deonarine to Sammy and then Dean Brownlie was caught behind off Roach.
The pressure was on Guptill to carry the innings, but attempting a second run, he found himself short of his ground as some fine fielding from Best ran him out for 71.
There were some aggressive shots from the tail as the tourists attempted to salvage a decent total at the end of their innings, but the West Indies head into day two trailing by 249 runs and with all their first-innings wickets intact.
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