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Not many teams bat themselves into such a formidable position on the first day of a Test. Fewer still so squander it that, by the end of the third day, they can actually lose the match.

That has been the West Indies’ story at Hamilton. The sensibly planned and executed record opening partnership of 276 between Sherwin Campbell and Adrian Griffith, lasting all but 15 minutes of the opening day, should have ensured an eventual total well in excess of 400 that would have further exerted pressure on New Zealand and had an enormous phychological impact.

Instead, over the next two days, the roles were completely reversed. New Zealand prised themselves free of the grip, with little resistance, and they were the ones tightening the thumb-screws yesterday as Campbell and Griffith had so effectively done.

Tense hours

By the time we awake this morning – or, for those who can stand the distance, went to bed last night – we will know how the match stands entering the last day. Given the established unreliability of the West Indies batting, they would have been a tense six hours.

The West Indies simply failed to seize the moment, to use the American expression. They held a decisive advantage but, through faulty strategy and the lack of self-belief that comes from a recent record of repeated failure, could not capitalise on it.

Resuming on the second day with their commanding 282 for one, and the New Zealanders in some disarray, the West Indies seemed unclear as to their policy.

Brian Lara’s frenetic approach and the promotion of Ricardo Powell ahead of Jimmy Adams suggested they were anxious to maintain the momentum generated by Campbell in the final two sessions the day before.

Yet the night-watchman, Dinanath Ramnarine, pottered around for half-hour without getting anywhere, the admirable Griffith took his obviously assigned role of sheet anchor to the extreme and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, a skilful accumulator rather than a swift scorer, appeared at No.5. It was where Lara should have been although to bat more like a responsible captain than a carefree gambler.

The New Zealanders sensed their moment and seized it. By lunch, the match had been turned on its head.

Still, the balance was even when we switched on our TV sets on Friday night. The home team were 113 for three responding to 365, the captain and the night-watchman in. The first session would clearly be critical.

Past New Zealand Test players in the commentary box, brought up on the West Indies of Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards, both in influential positions in this team, were certain of what to expect. There would be an early salvo from Courtney Walsh, the most experienced of the fast bowlers, and Reon King, the quickest, and then a bit from Franklyn Rose.

Instead, Lara opted for Walsh and the leg-spin of Ramnarine who had encouraged his optimism the night before. He also chose to leave gaps in the slips.

Soon Daniel Vettori was slicing Walsh high to second slip’s left where Ricardo Powell’s unhappy Test debut was compounded by a two-handed miss and captain Stephen Fleming was uncertainly edging King lap-high through vacant third slip. Lara immediately filled the hole but the horse had already bolted.

There were also a succession of embarrassing fumbles at mid-off and mid-on by Franklyn Rose, King and Ramnarine that gifted runs. The West Indian body language, such an accurate guage in any sporting contest, now resembled that of the New Zealanders during their long, futile first day.

Three more defining moments would follow in mid-afternoon. At 258 for six, the balance even and the ball still relatively hard and new, Chris Cairns, a talented and dangerous striker, arrived.

As he attempted to get off the mark first ball with an off-side single, Chanderpaul’s throw from cover shattered the stumps at the bowler’s end just as he was sliding for his crease.

Inches short

The TV relay was called for and, although the commentator, former New Zealand wicket-keeper Ian Smith, diagrammed on the screen to show Cairns was inches short at the moment of impact, third umpire Doug Quested flashed his green light.

The TV image was partially obscured by Jimmy Adams, backing up, but if Smith could make his correct deduction, surely Quested, who is there exclusively for the job, could too.

It was the latest of umpteen instances of such umpires getting it wrong while millions of others in bars and living rooms half-way across the world can see that they are wrong.

It is defeating the ICC’s purpose of using such technology. The time has come for the umpires to be able to call on the trained advice of TV personnel when in such doubt.

Fretting

The West Indies players were still fretting when Cairns edged to second slip off Franklyn Rose, only to be reprieved by a marginal no-ball call. Very soon another edge streaked between second and fourth slip exactly where a third slip should have been.

Why modern captains disregard the orthodoxy of more than 100 years of cricket in their perverse field placings is mystifying. For many, gully and mid-wicket have also become largely obsolete and the need for a third slip for a new batsman against an outswinging fast bowler would seem obvious.

In the space of 20 minutes, Cairns had three critical strokes of luck. It was time to seize the moment and he opened his powerful shoulders to strike the ball with all the power of his father, Lance. His 72 off 82 balls was like a sharp blow to the solar plexus.

At the close, the burden was back on the West Indies, more specifically their batsmen.

Coach Richards would have had plenty to say before last night’s first ball. A pointed reference to the New Zealand scoreboard would have been in order. None of the first eight in their order batted less than an hour and a quarter, none made less than 22, five scored between 32 and 72.

Everyone has contributed. The same could not be said for the West Indies. And cricket is still, and has always been, a team game.

© The Barbados Nation