Greaves double ton earns West Indies draw

An epic 202 not out from Justin Greaves and a stubborn supporting role from Kemar Roach saw West Indies salvage a brave draw in the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch on Saturday.

He set a mammoth target of 531, 113 more than the current record for a successful fourth chase, West Indies were 457-6 at the end, the second highest fourth innings.

Greaves batted for nearly 10 hours and faced 388 deliveries, bringing his maiden double century to the penultimate end.

Roach was unbeaten in his Test best of 58, which included facing 72 dot balls when he was on 53.

The pair put on a dynamic 180 for the seventh wicket.

“Kemar, the senior pro, guided me all the way,” said man of the match Greaves.

“Coach told me once you’re in, stay in. Being a part of history is exciting, but for me, it’s one day at a time.

“For us, it was just getting into the last session.”

Given the magnitude of the chase, the West Indies saw the draw as a victory, while New Zealand felt they had lost.

“I would say it feels like a win. The lads are proud,” West Indies captain Roston Chase said, adding they felt the game was theirs for the final over.

“But it didn’t work out the way (Greaves and Roach) wanted it to, so when it came down to the last hour we had a discussion and they said they’re just going to play it.”

However, spirits were not high in the New Zealand camp.

“When you have a tie like that, where you know you’re so close to winning, it has that (defeat) feeling,” captain Tom Latham said.

A draw looked a distant prospect for the tourists when the top order failed to strike again and they slumped to 72-4.

But New Zealand had come under fire as injuries to Matt Henry and Nathan Smith reduced the pace of their second innings attack to just Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes.

Both were playing only their second Test.

The calm pitch was also of little help to the spinners, allowing Shai Hope and Greaves to cash in for the fifth wicket by amassing 196 runs in a stand of 64 overs.

West Indies resumed the final day on 212-4 with a confident Hope and Greaves adding 23 in six overs of spin before softening the new-ball attack for more than 12 overs before Hope was dismissed for 140.

A short ball from Duffy outside leg stump tempted Hope to hook, but the ball climbed, grabbed the glove and a diving Tom Latham made a stunning one-handed catch to complete the dismissal.

Tevin Imlach came and went quickly, lbw to Foulkes for four, and New Zealand felt the initiative had swung their way again with West Indies 277-6.

But when Roach came in for Greaves, the pendulum swung the other way as the West Indies reached 399-6 at tea, needing another 132 with four wickets to spare if they were to achieve a historic victory in the final session.

Luck was with Roach, who received five lives.

He fell on 30 and 47 and survived a run-out when the throw went past the stumps.

He was not called out again for a collision, both by Michael Bracewell, when TV replays showed he was out both times.

Duffy was New Zealand’s most successful bowler with 3-122 to go with his five-wicket haul in the first Test.

The second Test starts in Wellington on Wednesday.