Tickner shines, then breaks down as NZ bowl out WI for 205

After the draining Day 5 in Christchurch, Tom Latham faced a choice: bat first and give his players a breather, or use the fresh Basin Reserve conditions to land an early blow on the West Indies. The surface, brown-tinged and unrevealing, offered no clues, but Latham backed his patched-up attack for another grind.

The call paid off. West Indies were rolled for 205, though New Zealand finished the day potentially another bowler short after Blair Tickner was stretchered off with a suspected shoulder dislocation 67 overs into play. It continued a wretched run of luck for the hosts, who had already lost Matt Henry and Nathan Smith in Christchurch. Until his exit, Tickner had been outstanding, taking 4 for 32, with debutant Michael Rae chipping in with three wickets.

West Indies would have targeted far more given the start they made. Brandon King, replacing Tagenarine Chanderpaul, cracked five fours and a six in a brisk 33, and together with John Campbell (44) powered an opening stand of 66.

Campbell set the early tempo and even earned a life when Latham shelled a tough chance at second slip off Jacob Duffy. King then cut loose in Rae's first over, pulling the debutant for a four and a six. An hour in, Latham's decision at the toss looked shaky, until Tickner burst the game open. He nipped one back to trap King LBW via review, then struck again in his next over, pinning Kavem Hodge in front without need for a referral.

Centurion from Christchurch, Shai Hope arrived to the middle, but it was Campbell who kept the scoreboard moving, punching Rae for three boundaries. By Lunch, West Indies were well placed at 92 for 2. Straight after the break, Rae found a fuller length from around the wicket, drew Campbell into a drive, and had him caught at first slip. Hope and Roston Chase then added a steady 60 for the fourth wicket, but just as the stand began to blossom, Tickner intervened again, following up a full ball with a sharp bouncer that surprised Hope, who fended awkwardly to fall for 48.

That opened the gate. New Zealand claimed the final seven wickets for just 52 as West Indies imploded after a good start. Tickner grabbed his fourth when Chase chopped a nip-backer onto his stumps, but a five-fer eluded him as he left the field in the 67th over after injuring himself while diving at fine leg. By then, West Indies were seven down and added little more before folding for 205.

New Zealand's openers, Latham and Devon Conway, had nine overs to navigate and knocked off 24 runs, though not without a few jitters. Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales troubled both left-handers, but they survived the examination to carry the advantage into Day 2.

Brief scores: New Zealand 24/0 (Devon Conway 16*) trail West Indies 205 (Shai Hope 48, John Campbell 44; Blair Tickner 4-32, Michael Rae 3-67) by 181 runs.