A masterful 197 by Chris Gayle saved the West Indies and ensured a drawn series as New Zealand gave up their run chase Tuesday with nine overs remaining in the second cricket Test.
Facing a target of 312 in 60 overs, New Zealand passed the 200 mark with 16 overs left but then dropped off the pace when Brendon McCullum, their last hard-hitting batsman, fell to a questionable dismissal.
When captains Gayle and Daniel Vettori agreed to call the players in, New Zealand were 220 for five with Jesse Ryder not out on 59.
The result meant both Tests were drawn and ensured the West Indies remained at seven in the world rankings, one place ahead of New Zealand.
But the second Test could have gone down to the wire had McCullum not been given out in a series which served as a trial for players to appeal to the third umpire in an attempt to overturn wrongful dismissals.
The batsman was given out caught behind for 19 and McCullum referred the decision to the third umpire, Mark Benson, who found no reason to overturn the original finding.
However under the rules Benson could refer only to the normal camera coverage and could not access the sensitive ”snicko” equipment, which did not detect any connection between bat and ball.
In a contest which produced a string of personal bests, including a maiden century for Tim McIntosh and impressive bowling by Iain O’Brien, Jeetan Patel and Fidel Edwards, it was the man-of-the-match performance by Gayle that defined the outcome.
When the West Indies resumed the final day at 278 for seven, New Zealand had visions of wrapping up the innings quickly, but Gayle had other ideas.
With stoic support from Edwards, they forged a 70-run partnership for the eighth wicket before Gayle’s eight and a half hours at the crease ended in freakish circumstances.
He turned a loose delivery from off-spinner Patel down the leg side but the ball hit the foot of wicketkeeper McCullum and bounced up into his gloves.
When the West Indies innings ended at 375 just on lunch, New Zealand were left facing a mammoth 312 run chase in 60 overs.
After a shaky start, with first-innings centurion Tim McIntosh out for three in the third over, Jamie How and Daniel Flynn set about their work in earnest.
How, who had failed to get a score of note previously in the series, took 19 off one over by Edwards.
But he undid the good work when he called Flynn through for a quick single, only to see his partner run out for 33.
Four overs later How was also back in the pavilion for 54 when he edged Edwards to Gayle at first slip.
Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor then accepted the challenge, piling on 74 runs in the next 15 overs.
Taylor forced Gayle out of the attack with two sixes off successive balls but his love affair with spin ended when he was trapped leg before wicket by Sulieman Benn for 46.
McCullum joined Ryder to add 37 in the next seven overs, but with McCullum’s dismissal and the arrival of James Franklin at the crease the steam went out of the New Zealand run chase.
The two sides move to Auckland on Friday for the first of two Twenty20 matches, to be followed by five one-day fixtures. – AFP
