DAY FOUR
New Zealand A wrapped up another good victory on the final day of the West Indies A tour after Wellington's 21-year-old off-spinning allrounder Rachin Ravindra claimed a first-class career best 6-89 to go with his century in the second innings.
It was a maiden first-class bag and maiden achievement with both bat and ball in the space of three days at NZ A level for Ravindra, touted for some time as an up and coming player to watch.
Captain Doug Bracewell meanwhile finished with seven for the match after taking the first wicket of the morning, the West Indians having been tasked with a day-four chase of 306.
Having taken a six-for himself in the first innings, it would be Bracewell's last, however, before the young left-arm allrounder claimed the other opening batsman and set the wheels in motion for his outstanding allround performance.
Dropping down to first drop, Shayne Moseley again added the grit to the West Indies' innings with a patient half century, and he helped guide his side through to lunch and onto a position of 159 for three - before part-time spinner Michael Bracewell enticed a key catch in the deep.
Captain Nicholas Pooran chose attack as the best form of defence and he top-scored with a 63-ball 69 - his highest first-class score. He shared a 77-run stand with Fabian Allen after losing anchorman Moseley.
But Pooran would become Ravindra's third victim of the innings. Big paceman Blair Tickner (2-28) then chipped out both Allen and Romario Shepherd while Ravindra whistled through the tail, and claimed the final wicket to have West Indies A all out for 256 inside 70 overs.
It was the first instance of a century and bag in the same first-class match in New Zealand since Logan van Beek's double act at Hagley Oval in 2015/16.
New Zealand A now moves on to Whangarei to play Pakistan A from Thursday, the NZ A squad for the match to be announced.
DAY THREE
West Indies A will head into a big final day of their New Zealand tour trailing New Zealand A by 332 runs in their second innings, set to resume at 26 for no loss at Nelson's Saxton Oval tomorrow.
Earlier, NZ A captain Doug Bracewell picked up a further four wickets in the first innings for a first-class haul of 15-5-42-6, the new captain leading the way as the hosts dismissed the visitors for 298 in 88.3 overs.
It was Bracewell's second first-class bag for New Zealand A with a previous best of 5-78 for the side; and his 10th first-class bag overall (his career best a 7-35 for the Central Stags).
West Indies A opening batsman Shayne Moseley had meanwhile carried on from his unbeaten 56* overnight to reach his first first-class century for West Indies A, to go with three previous hundreds for Barbados before he was caught behind off Bracewell on 110 in the 81st over.
West Indies A rapidly fell away after the wicket as Bracewell and his Central Stags teammate Blair Tickner (2-34) mopped up, leaving Romario Shepherd stranded on 77 not out.
Taking a 183-run lead into their second dig, New Zealand A belted a quick 174 for seven from just 27.5 overs before Bracewell again declared - giving his attack eight overs before stumps to try to get a late breakthrough in the action-packed afternoon.
For the West Indies, spinner Rahkeem Cornwall (3-37) finished his bowling duties with six for the match.
DAY TWO
Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra both hit three figures on day two of the first-class fixture between West Indies A and New Zealand A in Nelson - before a declaration and exciting performance with the ball put the hosts in the box seat.
Poised on 93* overnight, Bracewell made sure of his first first-class century at New Zealand A level early in the first session, reaching his milestone off exactly 200 balls after 247 minutes, with the 10 boundaries from the previous afternoon.
Meanwhile it was just the beginning for his fifth-wicket parner Rachin Ravindra who had resumed on 30*.
The stylish pair dominated the West Indies A attack with a 161-run partnership for the fifth wicket that saw them bat together for the bulk of the first session.
In a picturesque setting - with a nip of snow still lacing Tasman's alps, Michael Bracewell would reach 135 and entertain spectators for almost five hours overall before the West Indies finally had another breakthrough.
With the score at 384 for four, the big spinner Rahkeem Cornwall finally put an end to his battle with the Wellington batsman as Romario Shepherd snaffled a catch of a slightly mistimed drive.
Ravindra by now was well on his way to producing a second New Zealand A century in the innings and was joined by Cam Fletcher in the period before lunch.
At 21, Ravindra already has a first-class century for the Wellington Firebirds but today the left-hander powered on to his maiden first-class effort for New Zealand A and reached his highest first-class score in the process.
Ravindra's unbeaten 144* came off 174 balls in 4.5 hours, and was embellished by nine boundaries and three sixes - the first of which brought up a century stand with Fletcher (48) for the sixth wicket.
Cornwall (3-91) eventually struck again to stop Fletcher just short of a half century and then picked up NZ A captain Doug Bracewell off his next over as well, at which point Bracewell declared the first innings closed at 481 for seven.
A strong day for New Zealand A continued when captain Bracewell promptly picked up a wicket from each of his first two overs to have the visitors 5/2 after three, Glenn Phillips with his sharp eye taking a very composed catch at slip despite Fletcher almost diving at full stretch in front of him.
Scott Kuggeleijn then removed Rovman Powell in just the sixth over, West Indies A needing to fetch the bailers to urgently steady their ship: all three top order batsmen had departed scoreless.
Captain Nicholas Pooran shared that task with opening batsman Shayne Moseley who had survived the early carnage. Carefully they built a 40-run stand before Pooran feel victim to Blair Tickner on 26.
Just 10 overs later the fifth wicket would be down when Ish Sodhi lured Fabian Allen into a catch at 83 for five, but crucially Moseley remained unmoved.
He got through to his half century and will resume the third morning unbeaten after a very patient 56*, having taken his side to 142 for five in reply by stumps.
DAY ONE
Moody skies greeted New Zealand A and West Indies A as they arrived at Nelson’s Saxton Oval for the final first-class “A” fixture for the West Indies in New Zealand.
Familiar with local conditions at Saxton Oval, home captain Doug Bracewell elected to bat after a delayed start on the heavily overcast morning - and sure enough, the sun popped out before lunch as conditions improved, albeit on a windy afternoon.
Nineteen-year-old Jayden Seales made his first-class debut for the West Indies and came close to picking up a quick debut wicket in the second over when Tim Seifert survived an early chance, dropped behind the stumps.
Seales made the first breakthrough regardless with BLACKCAP Glenn Phillips caught at point at 31/1 in the 10th.
Mark Chapman played the strokemaker to Seifert’s anchorman, the latter going on to reach his half century off a patient 133 balls.
A breezier Chapman (above) had come close to getting there first, but a short second spell from Keemo Paul delivered near-instant rewards with Chapman bowled on 45 and the partnership broken on 70.
Doug Bracewell’s first cousin Michael Bracewell - the cousins playing their first match together since the 2013/14 New Zealand A tour of England and Scotland - joined Seifert and was merciless on anything loose.
Seifert batted watchfully for more than two and a half hours before he eventually departed for 60 in the middle session, New Zealand A going to tea at 160 for three.
In the last session, Jimmy Neesham went down the track to Fabian Allen (2-39) only to loft a catch to the deep and depart for just 10. It was Allen’s second wicket, but the afternoon ended badly for the left-arm spinner who injured himself whilst fielding a delivery off his own bowling.
Allen was unable to complete the 78th over, but West Indies A captain Nicholas Pooran had plenty of options — having utilised nine bowlers across the afternoon.
By stumps, Michael Bracewell was unbeaten on 93* amid an unbroken 77-run stand for the fifth wicket with Rachin Ravindra (30*).
New Zealand A will begin day two on 264 for four.
Bracewell has eight first-class centuries in Plunket Shield cricket and had taken a career best of 45 from three previous first-class matches for New Zealand A into today.
Article added: Tuesday 15 December 2020
