NZ openers get valuable batting time as game ends in draw

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand openers Peter Fulton and Hamish Rutherford got in some valuable batting time ahead of the first test against West Indies, putting on an unbroken 142-run partnership in their three-day match that was called a draw on Friday.





Fulton (53) and Rutherford (72) both retired early on the third day against the visitors in Christchurch before captain Brendon McCullum declared at 168 for three, setting the West Indies XI a victory target of 166.

The West Indies side, which included several New Zealand first class players because the tourists are still waiting for the rest of their squad to arrive from their tour of India, raced through to 121 for two before the game was called a draw.

A New Zealand Cricket spokesman said both captains had agreed to call off the game, which was not a first class match, by a set time on the third day to enable the New Zealand-based players to return to their sides for domestic Twenty20 and first class matches.

West Indies opener Kirk Edwards made 25, while wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton was 61 not out when the game was called off. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who had scored a quick-fire 89 in the first innings, was dismissed for 12 in the second.

McCullum, who was returning from treatment on a chronic back injury, scored just 22 and 10 in the match, though his Otago team mate Aaron Redmond was celebrating after his 67 for the West Indies XI propelled him back into national contention.

The 34-year-old last played a test for New Zealand in 2008 but was included on Friday in a 13-man squad for the first test at Dunedin from December 3.

Redmond has scored heavily in first class cricket over the last two seasons and is likely to fill the number three position at University Oval if vice captain Kane Williamson fails a fitness test on his broken thumb.

The 23-year-old broke the thumb in Bangladesh last month and had been expected to be out for a minimum of six weeks though was included in the squad after coming through net sessions.

The West Indies will be without explosive opening batsman Chris Gayle, who has a hamstring injury and has returned home to undergo treatment.

He is expected to rejoin the team for the limited overs matches starting on December 26.

(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by Peter Rutherford)


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world