West Indies faced a tough opening day in the third and final Test at Bay Oval, as New Zealand closed with a commanding 334 for one.
New Zealand’s opening pair, Devon Conway and Tom Latham, produced a mammoth 323-run partnership which lasted 86 overs, and is now the highest opening partnership ever recorded for New Zealand on home soil and the second-highest in their Test history.
West Indies finally had a breakthrough when veteran bowler Kemar Roach dismissed Latham for 137, but it was a bit too late as the damage was already done.
Conway remained unbeaten on 178 and will aim for a double-century on day two. At the close of the day, West Indies assistant coach Rayon Griffith told the media he conceded the challenge but insisted his side would not surrender.
“It was a tough day, and it’s cricket. That’s how it goes,” Griffith stated. “Sometimes you have a tough time, and sometimes you have some easier days, right? However, yes, Devon and Tom played well. I thought the partnership that they put on set the game up for New Zealand.”
However, Griffith defended his team’s bowling attack, suggesting the Kiwi batters simply weathered the storm.
“Well, you may say we didn’t make the best use of it. I thought the bowlers came in, Jayden (Seales) and Kemar (Roach), and they thought they bowled well. They had New Zealand, but not really scoring. But I thought the two batters released well; they played the situation in a good fashion.”
The visiting coach emphasised the need for resilience from a seasoned squad.
“We have experienced players in our dressing room. And we know the positive will continue passing around that dressing room,” he said. “The game is still in progress, so we’ve been through this before. These guys are accustomed to a situation like this, and we will become better.”
