Saturday 31 May 2014

BlackCaps battle in opening tour match

New Zealand struggled with the bat on the opening day of their first tour match in the West Indies.

In a stuttering start to the five-week tour, the tourists declared at 112-6 against a Jamaican selection team before handing their bowlers a workout in the final session.

The home side were 94-5 at stumps, with offspinner Mark Craig having taken 3-17 off nine overs to mark his New Zealand debut.

Five Black Caps were unavailable for the game due to playing commitments in India and England, forcing the need to bring in Jamaican allrounder Myron Wilson for the two-day game at Trelawny.

Stand-in captain Peter Fulton won the toss and soon paid the price for his decision, caught behind without scoring in the fourth over.

Fulton is in a three-way contest for the Test opening berth with Hamish Rutherford and Tom Latham, who both reached double figures.

Rutherford was trapped lbw for 13 without offering a shot while Latham, batting at first drop, top-scored 33 before also departed lbw, to two-wicket seamer Gavon Brown.

Wicketkeeper BJ Watling (7), Jimmy Neesham (0) and Luke Ronchi (21) fell in the middle session before spinners Ish Sodhi (23 not out) and Craig (11no) took New Zealand to a tea declaration.

Craig was helped by low, turning conditions which are likely to predominate in the first Test starting in Kingston on June 8.

Left-arm seamer Neil Wagner (1-18) was the other wicket-taker.

Cricket Australia

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