Adams pulls the surprises

New Zealand 195 West Indies 98-1

As always the West Indies filled their team with fast bowling designed to blast New Zealand out like a battering ram. Instead they tickled them into submission with a feather.

Having reduced the New Zealanders to 6 for 3 within 40 minutes, they then found nothing in the conditions to aid their four fast bowlers and it was left to the tossed up, unpractised left-arm spin of Jimmy Adams to inflict the unexpected damage.

Undoubtedly lulled into a dangerous sense of security they New Zealanders did not quite know what to make of these unusual West Indian tactics and, torn between defence and attack, they kept getting out. By the end, Adams had gathered 5 for 17 from nine overs, not only his best figures in Test but in any sort of cricket.

When Courtney Walsh won the toss and predictably chose to bowl on a pitch with a deceptive greenish look to it, the expectations of a crowd of 10,000 were for typical mayhem.

The quick demise of the opener Craig Spearman to Curtly Ambrose and the left-handers Roger Twose and Stephen Fleming seemed to confirm their optimism. But there was little in the pitch and when Patterson Thompson, a burly 24-year-old was introduced for his first bowl in Test cricket and found immediate problems controlling his nerves and his front foot, Adam Parore and Nathan Astle took the opportunity to mount a spirited recovery.

Thompson's first two overs went for 25 and included four of what were to be eventually 17 no-balls in eight overs.

He was given a spell in the outfield but then returned just before lunch and sent his ecstatic fans into carnival-like celebrations by dismissing Astle (for 54) and the left-handed Chris Harris in his first over. Harris, given out caught at slip off his forearm guard, was the second error by the usually flawless umpire Steve Bucknor and simply emphasised the problems of the New Zealanders, who had entered the match without their key allrounder Chris Cairns, who flies back to England and Nottinghamshire today with a strained side muscle.

Parore and the left-handed Justin Vaughan settled New Zealand's middle order by adding 67 and forced Walsh to turn to Adams in mid-afternoon. He struck with his first ball, Parore prodding a catch to silly point after it disciplined 59 that spanned three and a quarter hours.

NEW ZEALAND - FIRST INNINGS

C Spearman c Browne b Ambrose 0

R Twose c Samuels b Walsh 2

S Fleming c Chanderpaul b Walsh 1

A Parore c Simmons b Adams 59

N Astle c Browne b Thompson 54

C Harris c Lara b Thompson 0

J Vaughan c Bishop b Adams 44

*L Germon c Chanderpaul b Adams 0

G Larsen st Browne b Adams 12

D Morrison not out 4

R Kennedy c Browne b Adams 0

Extras (lb1 w1 nb17) 19

Total 195

Fall: 1-2 2-2 3-6 4-86 5-87 6-154 7-157 8-186 9-193.

Bowling: Ambrose 13-4-33-1, Walsh 17-6-30-2 (nb2), Bishop 10-3-36-0 (nb1), Thompson 8-0-58-2 (nb13), Simmons 3-0-11-0, Adams 9-4-17-5 (nb1), Chanderpaul 2-0-9-0.

WEST INDIES - FIRST INNINGS

S Campbell not out 47

R Samuels lbw b Larsen 12

B Lara not out 32

Extras (lb2 nb5) 7

Total (for 1) 98

Fall: 1-46

To bat: P Simmons, S Chanderpaul, J Adams, C Browne, C Ambrose, I Bishop, *C Walsh, P Thompson.

Bowling: Morrison 5-1-17-0; Kennedy 5-0-34-0; Larsen 8-0-25-1; Vaughan 4-0-9-0; Harris 4-2-11-0.