Windies rue first innings failure vs NZ

Dec 4, 2017 - 3:40 AM Opposing captains Kane Williamson and Jason Holder have identified the West Indies' first innings as setting the tone for their heavy defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the first cricket Test in Wellington.

The tourists, asked to bat, were out for 134 and once the Kiwis ran up 9(dec)-520, they were destined for the innings and 67-run loss inside four days.

"I thought in the first innings we were very fortunate ... I think a lot of the dismissals weren't a regular thing you see on the first day of a Test match," winning captain Williamson said.

He knew it would be harder in the second innings as the wicket flattened and the Windies fought back, scoring 319.

"We knew it was going to be a tough job to bowl them out, and it was. It was a great effort with the ball in hand."

Holder denied his side had surrendered.

"We didn't help ourselves on day one. To get bowled out on the first day of any Test match doesn't really put you into a good position going into the remaining days," he said.

"The only way to get back in the game was to get new ball wickets and to make early inroads into the New Zealand top order, and we struggled to do that.

"I thought our bowlers tried, really gave a good effort. We didn't help ourselves in the field at times with our fielding.

But he commended his side for "clawing back" in the seconds innings.

"We just wanted to be positive. There's no point being out there just to run down the game... we needed to be positive and score, knock off the deficit," he said.

The Windies needed Kraigg Brathwaite or Shai Hope to get a big score, Holder said.

"Unfortunately we lost Kraigg at that time and I guess we never really gathered momentum afterwards."

Resuming the fourth day at 2-214, the West Indies lost three wickets in Monday's morning session and were 5-286 at lunch.

Brathwaite was the top scorer, falling short of a seventh Test century when trapped lbw for 91 by spinner Mitchell Santner.

After lunch the last five batsmen fell within 50 minutes.

Left-armer Neil Wagner earned the man of the match award for his match-influencing 7-39 in the West Indies' first innings.

He finished with career best figures of 9-141.

The second Test starts in Hamilton on Saturday.

Source: AAP