Edwards, Brathwaite win first session for West Indies

Port-of-Spain (Trinidad), June 17 (IANS/CMC) An up tempo 93-run, third wicket stand between Kirk Edwards (55) and Kraigg Brathwaite (batting 48) won West Indies the opening session on day two of the second cricket Test against New Zealand here Tuesday.

Resuming the day tenuously placed at six for one, West Indies reached the lunch interval on 124 for three, only 97 runs behind the Black Caps first innings of 221, reports CMC.

Opener Brathwaite was eyeing his fifth Test half-century unbeaten on 48 while Darren Bravo was not out on 10.

Edwards had earlier hit a stroked-filled 55, which came off just 64 deliveries and included seven fours and three sixes, combining in a productive stand with Brathwaite, who has so far faced 96 balls and counted five fours.

Edwards entered the contest at Queen's Park Oval in the fifth over of the morning after night watchman Sulieman Benn was bowled by seamer Tim Southee for four at 16 for two, and proceeded to dominate the Black Caps attack.

He was positive from the outset, his second scoring shot a rasping drive through mid-off off left-arm seamer Trent Boult and followed up in the next over, off-spinner Mark Craig's first, with a six over long on.

A cover driven boundary by Edwards in Craig's third over saw the bowler removed from the attack but his replacement, medium pacer Jimmy Neesham, also proved expensive.

Edwards twice cut him for aerial boundaries in his second over, the last four bringing up the 50 partnership. When Craig was brought back for a second spell, Edwards cleared mid on to move into the 40s before going straight for his second six, three balls later.

He raised his fifty in style, depositing Craig on the roof of the stadium at wide long on, in the bowler's next over.

Edwards was growing in confidence when he edged the third delivery of leg-spinner Ish Sodhi's first over of the morning, for wicket-keeper Bradley-John Watling to take a smart catch, 10 minutes before lunch.

Brathwaite, meanwhile, batted defensively and had to wait until nearly an hour for his first boundary, a glance to fine leg off Southee.

However, he blossomed in the second hour, taking the attack to Craig with a couple of streaky boundaries over wide mid-on, in a rare show of aggression.

Brief scores:

New Zealand: 221 all out (Tom Latham 82, Ross Taylor 45 not out, Kane Williamson 42; Jerome Taylor 4/34, Sulieman Benn 3/73, Shannon Gabriel 2/43)

West Indies: 124 for three (Kirk Edwards 55, Kraigg Brathwaite batting 48; Ish Sodhi 1/15).

--IANS/CMC

vs/pm/