Pacers give West Indies strong start on rain-hit Day 1

West Indies' pace battery gave a good account of themselves as they picked eight of the nine wickets to fall on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. More than an hour was lost to rain in the morning session but the weather cleared from the second session on, allowing for 70 overs of action. Kemar Roach made a strong return to action, while debutant Ojay Shields and Justin Greaves too complimented him as the trio picked two wickets each to keep New Zealand in check all day.
Roston Chase chose to bowl in gloomy conditions and comeback man Roach struck straight away. In the first over of the day, he had got Devon Conway to nick a ball that nipped away from the left-hander, to Greaves at second slip. Midway through the fourth over, the players were forced off the field by showers that persisted for long. When play resumed, only seven more overs were possible before it began to rain again and brought an end to the session, with New Zealand on 17 for 1.
Clear skies greeted Kane Williamson in the post-Lunch period which he began with two exquisite boundaries - a shortish delivery cut behind square and a full one driven through extra cover. In the following over, Roach offered a full delivery and Williamson played an on-drive for his third boundary. Williamson got to his 38th Test fifty, playing out the first hour of the second session with ease in the company of Tom Latham. On the other side of the break, however, Greaves squared up Williamson. The former captain edged a ball to Alick Athanaze at second slip, who took a sharp, low catch. In his next over, Greaves went full and got Latham to edge one behind to Tevin Imlach.
It proved to be a tricky hour of play for New Zealand as they lost two more wickets leading up to Tea break. Seales went round the stumps and beat Rachin Ravindra on the outside edge and knocked back his stumps. The left-hander departed for a six-ball three. Will Young then became Johan Layne's maiden Test wicket. The fast bowler got a good length ball to shape inwards and created a doubt in the batter's mind. Young was too late to withdraw his shot and ended up edging the ball to Greaves at second slip. From 94 for 1, New Zealand slipped to 128 for 5 at Tea.
In the final session, Shields got into the act, to pick up his maiden wicket. A full, inswinging delivery earned him that as Tom Blundell inside edged it onto his stumps. Bracewell and Nathan Smith came together to hit back, as they added 52-run stand for the seventh wicket. Chase then, broke this partnership with the only wicket off spin in the day. Smith's eyes lit up with the flight on offer and looked to flick the ball away. But he couldn't keep it grounded. John Campbell at short mid-wicket dived to take a good catch.
Bracewell's intention to fight lasted for another 15 runs when he was consumed by the short-ball ploy. Shields dug in a bouncer, which Bracewell took on. However, Chase had stationed Tagenarine Chanderpaul at deep mid-wicket to complete the catch. In the over before bad light put an end to the day's play, Matt Henry fell in similar fashion - failing to connect with a pull against a short ball from Roach and finding the deep square leg fielder.