Greaves’ 202 earns the West Indies a draw with New Zealand in the 1st test

By Canadian Press on December 5, 2025.

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — Justin Greaves made an unbeaten 202 in a 230-run partnership with Kemar Roach as the West Indies won an endurance contest against a threadbare New Zealand attack Saturday to draw the first test after being set 531 to win.

The West Indies’ second innings of 457-6 was the highest fourth-innings score since tests have been limited to five days. At times they flirted with the highest winning run chase in history Saturday until with six wickets down in the last session Greaves and Roach finally put up the shutters.

Greaves batted for almost 9 1-2 hours, first in a 196-run partnership with Shai Hope, who made 140 before being only of only two West Indies batters dismissed on the final day. Roach, who finished 58 not out, faced 233 balls to add a half century to his five-wicket bag in the New Zealand second innings.

“Resilient is the word we’ve thrown around in the dressing room a lot so for me to to there at the end of the day was really important. Anything for the team at the end of the day,” Greaves said.

“It’s a special, special day for me, a special day for the team. We were pretty much up against it.”

At the same time, New Zealand’s heavily depleted attack toiled through part of the fourth day and all of the final day with only two fit seamers, both novices, a spin bowling allrounder and a part-time spinner. New Zealand lacked the armory on a flat pitch to take the six wickets it needed on the fifth day to win the match and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

After injuries to the attack spearhead Matt Henry and to medium pace allrounder Nathan Smith, the only fit pacers New Zealand had were Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes, both playing in their first test at home and only the second test of their careers.

New Zealand seemed poised to complete a convincing first-test victory on the fourth day when, after setting the West Indies a mammoth total to win, it had the tourists 72-4 early in the second session.

Greaves and Roach gave only a couple of chances to the field in all of the final day. New Zealand exhausted its reviews early in the day and paid the price when an lbw appeal and an appeal for a catch behind against Roach both were declined by the umpires and shown to be out on replay.

New Zealand had the upper hand in the match from the end of the first innings when it dismissed the West Indies for 167 in reply to its 231. Kane Williamson top-scored with 52 in New Zealand’s first innings in his first test since 2024. Hope made 56 and Tagenarine Chanderpaul 52 in the West Indies’ reply.

Hope’s outstanding performance was elevated by the fact he battled an eye infection in both innings and had to bat in sunglasses.

The West Indies resumed on the final day at 212-4 with Hope 111 and Greaves already 55. Hope and wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach both were out close to lunch but those were the last wickets to fall in the day.

New Zealand and the West Indies both took four points, their first points in the new World Test Championship cycle. The second test begins in Wellington on Wednesday.

____

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

The Associated Press