Date-stamped : 04 May96 - 02:13 Test # 1326 West Indies v New Zealand, 2nd Test. Recreation Ground, St John's, Antigua. 27,28,29 April 1,2 May 1996 ====> REPORT (Day 1, 27 April 1996) W Indies v NZ - 2nd Test: Samuels` maiden century By Craig Cozier in Antigua LEFT-HANDED opener Robert Samuels hit a high-quality maiden century in only his second Test to pilot West Indies to a com- manding 302 for four at stumps on the opening day of the second and final Cable and Wireless Test against New Zealand. The slim Jamaican looked in fine touch from the time he strode to the crease after New Zealand captain Lee Germon sent in the home team on what turned out to be an ideal batting surface. The 25-year-old Samuels` confidence was borne out in the way he brought up his century 40 minutes after tea. After spending a quarter of an hour and 11 balls on 93, Samuels stroked off- spinner Dipak Patel through extra cover for four and next ball moved down the pitch and hit him straight back overhead for a huge six. When Samuels was fourth out half an hour before the close, his lazy back-foot shot deflecting off the inside edge on to the stumps, he had faced 219 balls, lashed 15 boundaries and three sixes. An early mix-up accounted for his opening partner, Sherwin Campbell, by the run-out route for 13 while Brian Lara never found his timing before his dismissal for 40 just before lunch. But Samuels, in successive partnerships of 97 with Phil Simmons and 87 with Jimmy Adams, took the initiative back for the West Indies. Simmons made 59, only his fifth score over 50 in his 24th Test. Left-hander Adams, also playing in his 24th Test but with a far superior record, was elated to reach his half-century off the last ball of the day. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http.//www.telegraph.co.uk) ====> REPORT (Day 2, 28 April 1996) W Indies V NZ - 2nd Test: Adams back in form with double century THE resurrection of Jimmy Adams as a Test batsman coincided with the total demise of New Zealand as a competitive force in the second Test against West Indies in Antigua yesterday. Before the close on the second day Adams completed a double centurywhen he drove medium pacer Justin Vaughan through mid-on for four, his 30th boundary. Adams had batted for just over seven hours when he reached the landmark, taking his score to 208 not out in a West Indian to- tal of 548 for seven declared. In a stirring partnership with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Adams further consolidated West Indies` advantage from the first day when Robert Samuels had made his first Test century in only his second match. His 125 included 15 fours and three sixes and came off 219 deliveries. Chanderpaul survived an attempted run-out when on 13, Robert Kennedy missing the stumps at the bowler`s end from short extra cover after striker Adams had left his partner stranded. Adams was 61 when Craig Spearman`s attempt from square leg would have found him short had it hit. That scare did not worry Adams and he completed his century in the last over before lunch with a pull through square leg off Danny Morrison for his 17th boundary. It was a welcome landmark for Adams, whose last hundred was 10 Tests ago against the same opponents in Wellington in early 1995. He had been in the middle four hours, 22 minutes and had faced 210 balls. The ground was about half-empty for the first day`s play which saw only one Antiguan, Curtly Ambrose, in action. The 6,000 crowd was the smallest for the opening day of a Test in Antigua. Antiguans had been angered by the unexplained omission of fast bowler Kenny Benjamin. He was one of four players fined by the West Indies Board for misconduct during last year`s tour of Eng- land. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http.//www.telegraph.co.uk) ====> REPORT (Day 3, 29 April 1996) W Indies v NZ - 2nd Test: Astle shows the way for tourists By Don Cameron in St John`s, Antigua NATHAN ASTLE, the batsman who has been the discovery of the New Zealand season, mounted a lone campaign to save his country on the third day of the second Test against West Indies. By tea, Astle had scored 81 not out of the 221 for five as New Zealand tried to climb the 548-run mountain built by West Indies in their first innings. Astle, 24, was regarded as a one-day slogger when the New Zea- landers` tour began but he has now become their most aggressive and successful Test player. He scored 54 and 125 as New Zealand lost the first Test at Barbados last week, but despite his outstanding example, the remainder of the New Zealand bat- ting is still extremely fragile. Craig Spearman and Stephen Fleming started the day at 21 for two and looked so comfortable on the easy-paced pitch that ei- ther or both should have gone on to a big score. However, New Zealand have acquired the habit of losing wickets in clusters and, after Fleming offered a needless catch to the wicketkeeper to make it 98 for three, Spearman repeated the mis- take 10 runs later. Astle received stout support from the left-hander Justin Vaughan after lunch and together they put on 98 for the fifth wicket before Vaughan misread a top-spinner from Rajindra Dhan- raj and was bowled at 202 for five. Astle had a huge piece of luck when he miscued the second ball of Dhanraj`s spell and the simple chance was dropped by the substitute fieldsman Roland Holder, at extra cover. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http.//www.telegraph.co.uk) ====> REPORT (Day 3, more) W Indies v NZ - 2nd Test : Astle keeps NZ afloat By a Special Correspondent in St John`s, Antigua NEW ZEALAND were able to enjoy yesterday`s rest day in the second Test, content in the knowledge that they had given them- selves a good chance of saving the game and avoiding a 2-0 de- feat in the series against the West Indies. Buoyed by a second successive hundred from Nathan Astle, they will resume today on 346 for seven, needing only three runs today to avoid the follow-on. The pitch, the same one on which Brian Lara scored his world record 375 two years ago, remains as ideal forbatting as on the first day, when New Zealand captain Lee Germon sent in the home team. West Indies coach Clive Lloyd still believes his side can manoeuvre themselves into a winning position. "If we can get enough runs quickly, we can then take a gamble," Lloyd said. But he conceded that his bowlers would have to work hard for any reward. "The pitch is very placid," the former West Indies captain said. "It`s about time we gave the bowlers something better to use." West Indies` victory chances will not be improved by an injury to their main strike bowler, Curtly Ambrose. The Antiguan left the field after collecting his fourth wicket on Monday with a recurrence of the injury behind his left knee that forced him to miss the one-day international against Sri Lanka three weeks ago. History favours a draw. There has not been an outright result here since England were beaten five years ago. This is the 10th Test at the ground and already there have been 24 hundreds. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http.//www.telegraph.co.uk) ====> REPORT (Day 3, more) DEFIANT ASTLE DOES THE DOUBLE St Johns: A fighting Nathan Astle century helped NZ to 7/346 on the third day of the second cricket test against the West Indies here yesterday. They were three runs short of the follow-on mark at the close. Astle, 24, produced his second successive hundred to join a select band of ten New Zealanders to have achieved the feat. He hit 103 from just 165 balls as the touristsreplied to the first innings of seven (dec) for 548 at the Recreation Ground. The Kiwis resumed on 2/21 and when Astle departed shortly after the second new ball was taken midway through the last session, their chance of avoiding the follow-on appeared in danger. Captain Lee Germon and spinner Dipak Patel then combined in an unbeaten stand of 65 for the eight wicket to ensure the mark should be a mere formality. Germon, unbeaten on 25, and Patel on 37, survived a hostile final 68 minutes, where they were peppered by short-pitched deliveries from fast bowlers Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose. Following his scintillating 125 in last week`s First Test in Bar- bados, which West Indies won by ten wickets, Astle again came to the fore, this time in ideal batting conditions. Dropped on 65 when substitute fieldsman Roland Holder grassed a simple chance at mid-off, Astle had further luck on 84 as a lead- ing edge landed just short of the bowler, leg-spinner Rajindra Dhanraj. He had added another four runs when Phil Simmons dropped what looked suspiciously like a bat-pad chance. The Canterbury batsman regathered his poise to reach his landmark shortly after when he turned Ian Bishop behind square leg for his 13th and last boundary. He was out after a stay of 217 minutes, swinging wildly at Am- brose and getting a thick outside edge for Simmons to make no mistake at second slip. Ambrose was the pick of the West Indies attack with 4/58. Source :: NZPA (The Australian) Contributed by Lawrie Colliver (colliver@ozemail.com.au) ====> REPORT (Day 4, 1 May 1996) Test Match: New Zealand on right road By a Special Correspondent in St John`s, Antigua THE ACCENT was on who would win the prize car rather than which team would win the match as the second West Indies-New Zealand Test dropped to a slow walk during the fourth day at the An- tigua Recreation Ground yesterday. New Zealand finished their first innings not long after lunch at 437, leaving them still 111 runs behind the West Indies first in- nings of 548 for seven declared. The pace of the game dropped even further and by tea the West Indies second innings was at 36 for one wicket. A draw will give West Indies the two-match rubber 1-0, but will also represent a fine recovery from New Zealand, who lost the first Test by 10 wickets. Nathan Astle scored a century on Monday and by the time they resumed yesterday morning, New Zealand were 346 for seven. Rather than declare as soon as the follow-on mark was reached, New Zealand continued, led by a 110-run stand for the eighth wicket by Lee Germon (49) and Dipak Patel (78). In Danny Morrison`s first over of the West In- dies second innings Sherwin Campbell scored a single from the first ball, Robert Samuels slashed the second to the boundary and was lbw to the third. Brian Lara struggled to 13 not out and still remains in the hunt for the car to be awarded to the player of the combined one-day and Test series. Lara scored two one-day centuries and a big second-innings score might give him the prize. ====> REPORT (Day 5, 2 May 1996) Twose out early as New Zealand hopes fade By Don Cameron in St John`s, Antigua ANY HOPE of an exciting, decisive finish to the second and final Test at the Recreation Ground had disappeared by mid-afternoon yesterday as the match headed slowly towards a draw. New Zealand needed 296 runs from 73 overs to produce a win. That task became implausible when they lost three wickets quickly and by tea they were 79 for three. West Indies were 147 for seven yesterday morning and New Zea- land needed to remove those last three batsmen in under an hour and at the cost of only a few runs. They made a good start when Gavin Larsen had Courtney Browne leg before at 155 but then Courtney Walsh the West Indies captain led a rearguard action and the West Indies hung on for another 74 minutes and 37 runs. New Zealand lost Roger Twose at 19 and when Craig Spearman was out their chance had almost gone. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http.//www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by Shash (shs2@*.cwru.edu)