West Indies smash records in marathon rearguard

West Indies racked up the highest total in the fourth innings of a time-bound Test as they held on for an extraordinary draw against New Zealand on the final day in Christchurch. When the match ended, Justin Greaves was unbeaten on 202 and Kemar Roach on 58 not out — both their highest Test scores.

New Zealand had set West Indies 531 to win in the final innings of the first Test of the three-match series, after Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra scored centuries in the Black Caps’ second innings. West Indies were in early trouble at 72-4, with three of their top five failing to reach double figures. However, Shai Hope and Greaves produced a superb 196-run partnership, both reaching triple figures. It was only the third time two batters have each scored 140 or more in the fourth innings of a Test match.

After Hope was caught behind by Latham off Jacob Duffy, Tevin Imlach lasted only nine balls before falling lbw. That brought Roach to the crease to join Greaves. Roach, recalled for this series and playing his first Test since January, had earlier taken his 12th Test five-wicket haul in New Zealand’s second innings. His resistance with the bat — 233 balls faced on the final day — proved even more significant, marking the most deliveries ever faced by a No.8 in the fourth innings of a Test. His unbeaten 58 was also his highest first-class score. The pair’s unbroken 180-run stand became the highest seventh-wicket partnership in the fourth innings of a Test, surpassing Manoj Prabhakar and Sachin Tendulkar’s effort in Manchester in 1990.

Greaves, though, was the standout performer. He and Roach batted through the day and, in the penultimate over of the match, Greaves reached a remarkable double-hundred. He became the seventh player to score a double-century in the fourth innings of a Test, and the fourth West Indian to do so. It was also the first Test double-hundred by a No.6 in the fourth innings, and featured the second-highest number of balls faced for a fourth-innings Test double-hundred.

Four balls after Greaves reached his milestone, the players shook hands to confirm the draw, with West Indies on 457-6. Their total is the highest score in the fourth innings of a non-timeless Test, with the only higher being England’s 654-5 in 1939, made during a match that ended in a draw on the tenth day. West Indies surpassed New Zealand’s 451 all out against England, also in Christchurch, in 2002. It was also the longest fourth innings by West Indies, in terms of overs faced, since 1930, as they batted for 163.3 overs.

All of this meant New Zealand endured a gruelling two days in the field. By the end of day four, Matt Henry had left the field for hospital scans, while seam-bowling all-rounder Nathan Smith was sidelined with a side strain. Latham was standing in behind the stumps for Tom Blundell, who suffered a hamstring injury on day one. This left the bulk of the workload to Duffy, Zak Foulkes, and spin-bowling all-rounders Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra. Duffy’s 43-over effort was the most bowled by a seamer in the fourth innings of a Test since Glenn McGrath in 1999.

New Zealand’s total of 981 balls delivered in the innings ranks ninth all-time for balls bowled by a team in a Test’s final innings, and is the most ever by a New Zealand side. (Wisden)