New Zealand Bowling, Bowling on a dominant opening day in the second Test In the West for a modest 205 without reaching a sustained 24/0 at stumps. Trailing by 181 runs, the home side held on to the lead after a disciplined collective display with the ball by Blair Tightner and debutant Michael Rae.
Early West Indian Resistance
Open first in Overcast Wellington Skies, New Zealand found West Indies’ top-order determination first. Limited in the first meeting when moving from the surface, John Campbells 44 and Shai UmidZalvaranların Freedom 48, provided visitors with effective threat negotiations. Their partnership helped Wi begin the second session where the hosts began to return to the competition.
Blair Tickner Destroys West Indies With Bowling Brilliance
As the pitch picked up speed after lunch, New Zealand’s PACE Brigade tightened the screws. The short-stop bowling proved to be effective, disrupting the West Indies middle order. According to the brainRelentless with lines and aggressive lengths, 4/32, four of the top five batsmen were dismissed at crucial moments. The ability to bounce and rush forces unforced errors that change the immediate tempo significantly in New Zealand’s favour.
In the debut, Michael Rae Overcome initial nerves to deliver a composed and disciplined spell. His 3/67 included crucial middle-order wickets that prevented the visitors from rebuilding. Jacob Duffy and Glenn Phillips He added a wicket contributing to a complete bowling performance.
Read: NZ vs Wi, 2nd test: Key stats and notes from Wellington’s basin reserve
Six wickets for 29: Wi collapse in last session
What had been a fairly balanced contest through two sessions swung heavily in New Zealand’s favor after tea. The West Indians opened sharply, losing their last six wickets for just 29 runs. The lower order is struggling against a sharp rise and continued hostility in the PACE, with a competitive first innings total in short order.
However, New Zealand’s near-perfect day was marred by a moment of delay in the innings. A suspected dribbler suffered a left shoulder injury as he made a full-length diving effort near the boundary rope to stop a shot from Tevon Imlach. He immediately lowered the emergency calls. Paramedics from both New Zealand camps and the basin reserve joined him to a standing ovation from the crowd. He was then transported to a hospital by ambulance. Updates for the rest of the test are expected earlier in the day.
In the short term before the roots, the openers managed the rest safely, the hosts 24 without loss. With a deep batting unit and favorable conditions, New Zealand are well placed to build a solid first-innings setup at 2.
New Zealand dominated the first day of the 2nd test#Cricket #Nzvswi pic.twitter.com/c5ifl0hgcz
– CricketTimes.com (@crickettimeshq) December 10, 2025
