The West Indies bowlers dominated the opening day, collapsing with New Zealand’s batting line-up with clinical efficiency. The visitors chose to field after winning the toss at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, setting the early tone for the contest. New Zealand slipped to 231/9, thanks in large part to a relentless West Indies bowling attack, giving the home side a small reprieve.
Kane Williamson’s batting in New Zealand’s top-order collapse
Among the top order collapses for New Zealand, Kane Williamson Showing his class and experience, he stood with a gut for half a century. Williamson was 52 off 102 balls with six boundaries before falling Justin Greaves‘Bowling, caught Alicia Athanasius. His innings was a fighting effort as he rattled around Wakets with a 93-run partnership Tom LathamWith 24 runs to his credit. New Zealand’s aspirations struggled to build a partnership as the West Indies bowlers applied relentless pressure. Despite the difficult conditions and some disciplined bowling, Williamson’s composed batting was a beacon for the home side and highlighted his return to broken cricket almost a year later.
West Indies’ disciplined bowling dominates Day 1 of the first Test
West Indies Bowlers collectively dismantled the gatherings of the Green and Batting Starting getting the maximum advantage from the Green and Cloudy conditions. Strong performances came from Greave (2 wickets for 35 runs), Kemar roach (2 for 2), Shields of Ojay (2 for 34 on debut) and Jayden seals (1 for 1).
The visitors displayed excellent discipline and skill at moments to prevent the black caps from settling. The sensitivity of the bowling unit was reflected in the consistent collapse of the regular breaks, with regular breaks allowing New Zealand to reach 231 for 9 in 70 overs. Late order batters, Zach Foulkes and Jacob Duffyheld firm with a small unbeaten partnership in the near term, but the day belonged to the West Indian seamen who sat in fear and control.
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This opening day performance has put the western function in a commanding position in a commanding situation as it showcases its strong bowling arsenal and strategic execution in external conditions. A fragile New Zealand innings has been repeatedly torn apart by the pressure mounted by disciplined spells of bowling and sharp fields. The visitors now have the upper hand, eager to capitalize on their early progress and dominate this first Test in Christchurch.
Bad light stopped play and on Day 1 of the 1st Test these stumps 🏏
NZ: 231/9 in 70 overs
ScoreCard 👉 https://t.co/m5wfl3dbza#cricket #Nzvwi pic.twitter.com/ggsemr6sqj
– CricketTimes.com (@crickettimeshq) December 2, 2025
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