HAMILTON – Black Caps batsman Colin de Grandhomme thought he may have just got away with one.
Not so lucky, it turns out.
The hard-hitting all-rounder was eventually, correctly, dismissed lbw for 22 during the final session of the third day of the second Test between New Zealand and the West Indies yesterday. But not without drama.
A bizarre DRS decision by TV umpire Ian Gould had confusion reigning at Seddon Park.
De Grandhomme was wrapped on the pad by fast bower Shannon Gabriel and the West Indies appealed for lbw, with umpire Rod Tucker giving a decision of “not out”.
The tourists called for a review, Gould looked at the Snicko technology, which did not show evidence of an inside edge, and instructed Tucker to stay with his original decision.
Just one issue. Gould forgot to check “ball tracking” for the lbw.
So as Tucker was signalling the not out decision, and the West Indian players had their arms up in protest and confusion, Gould interrupted the umpire and acknowledged his mistake. He indicated that he would indeed need to look at “ball tracking”, which would determine if the ball struck de Grandhomme in line with the stumps and whether it was going to go on and hit them.
It indeed was, so Gould gave Tucker the go-ahead to change his decision.
So up went the finger, and de Grandhomme was on his way.
He was the sixth New Zealand wicket to fall, with the score at 212 at the time, and the Black Caps holding a 364-run lead.
By stumps, the home team looked on course for victory, as West Indies, set 444 to win, were reduced to 30 for two with opener Kieran Powell completing a pair.
Resuming the third day on 215 for eight in their first innings, West Indies added just six runs before being dismissed for 221, to concede a lead of 152 runs.
The Black Caps then scored at a decent clip to declare at 291 for eight in their second innings, with the outstanding Ross Taylor gathering an unbeaten 107 to join Martin Crowe and current captain Kane Williamson at the top of New Zealand’s century-maker’s list with 17.
Left with 40 minutes before close, the Windies lost the left-handed Powell without scoring for the second time in the match when he was squared up by left-arm seamer Trent Boult and caught low down at third slip.
Left-hander Shimron Hetmyer stroked three fours in a run-a-ball 15 before loosely driving pacer Tim Southee to Neil Wagner at short extra cover.
Earlier, New Zealand needed just 17 balls to finish off the Windies first innings, with Boult bowling Miguel Cummins and Shannon Gabriel in successive deliveries to end with four for 73.
West Indies struck early when fast bowler Cummins, who finished with three for 69, removed Jeet Raval for four in the eighth over with 11 on the board, as the left-hander bungled a pull and gave the bowler a return catch.
However, Williamson hurt the Windies with an urgent 54, helping lift the Black Caps to 96 for two at lunch.
Williamson faced 64 balls and struck eight fours, adding 31 for the second wicket with opener Tom Latham (22) and 58 for the third with Taylor.
Cummins broke the stand in the second over after the interval, shattering Williamson’s stumps with a searing yorker before removing Henry Nicholls cheaply for five, but any hopes of engineering a New Zealand collapse were scuppered as Taylor took control. Dropped on 35 by Hope at gully off Gabriel, Taylor made the most of his reprieve. (Stuff/CMC/HG)
