West Indies Openers Shine in Chase Against New Zealand

The West Indies made a promising start in their pursuit of a daunting target set by New Zealand during the second day of the Test match at Mount Maunganui. After New Zealand declared their first innings at a formidable 575/8, the West Indies finished the day at 110 without loss, with openers John Campbell and Brandon King both remaining unbeaten.

New Zealand’s batting dominance continued from the previous day, starting the morning on 334/1. The home team lost their first wicket shortly after resuming play. Nightwatchman Jacob Duffy was dismissed for 17 by Jayden Seales, paving the way for captain Kane Williamson to join the crease after a 93-over wait.

Opener Devon Conway reached an impressive double-century, scoring 227 off 318 balls before being dismissed leg before wicket by Justin Greaves. This innings marked Conway’s second double-century in eight matches in 2025 and demonstrated his ability to anchor the innings, having faced the bowling attack for over 500 minutes.

The Black Caps added 90 runs for the loss of two wickets in the first session, bringing their total to 424/3 at lunch. Following lunch, New Zealand’s batting continued to falter as they lost Daryl Mitchell for 11 and wicketkeeper Tom Blundell for 4. By tea, New Zealand had advanced to 508/6, with Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips forming a crucial partnership of 61 runs for the seventh wicket.

Phillips eventually fell for 29, but Ravindra remained steady at the crease, contributing 72 runs. Captain Tom Latham decided to declare the innings shortly after, allowing Ajaz Patel to finish with a flourish, scoring an unbeaten 30 off 30 balls.

As the West Indies prepared to chase a challenging total, the opening partnership of Campbell and King demonstrated resilience, ensuring no wickets fell by the end of the day. Their performance will be crucial as they aim to build on this strong foundation in the upcoming sessions.