da betway： As they seemed fated to do, West Indies lost the second Test to NewZealand by an innings and 105 runs with a day to spare at the BasinReserve yesterday, but the West Indians had fought tenaciously, anddeserved better than what appeared to be
Don Cameron30-Dec-1999As they seemed fated to do, West Indies lost the second Test to NewZealand by an innings and 105 runs with a day to spare at the BasinReserve yesterday, but the West Indians had fought tenaciously, anddeserved better than what appeared to be summary execution by one umpirein the last 32 minutes of the match.Afterward Brian Lara, the captain who led the rearguard action nobly, thecoach Sir Viv Richards and the manager Clive Lloyd maintained atight-lipped attitude – that now seems to be part of the InternationalCricket Councils (ICC) code of conduct – when asked their opinion aboutthe umpiring.Lara politely remarked that cricketers took the rough with the smooth.One of those who benefited, Dion Nash, the New Zealand seamer who tookfour wickets for 38, said that some days bowlers have decisions goagainst them, and on other days they get decisions which tend to balanceout the matter.But all the instant action and television replays suggested that from 204for five wickets, West Indies lost Nehemiah Perry (0), Lara (75) andCourtney Walsh (0) to highly dubious decisions from Evan Watkin, aWellingtonian standing in his second Test match.This left West Indies 225 for eight wickets, with Daren Ganga unable tobat, and the innings finished at 234 and the match at 6:20 pm, 40 minutesbefore the scheduled fourth day close.Perry went to an lbw appeal from the medium-pacer Nathan Astle, when theball did keep a little low, but Perry was taken on the front pad, andneither Watkin nor the Zimbabwean umpire Russell Tiffin had agreed withfront-foot lbws earlier in the match.That wicket fell at 204, and at 225 the last West Indian resistancedisappeared with Lara.Nash came back with the old ball, the new one available, and his thirdball was an average-looking off-cutter which angled across Lara from legto off.Lara drove at the ball, missed, and the off-cutter action caused a littledeviation into Adam Parores gloves.The New Zealanders followed the usual practice by appealing mightily, andthe umpire Watkin agreed. Lara obviously did not, with a little gestureof annoyance, but left and the last West Indian hope went with him.Just to make sure Walsh, promoted from his usual No. 11 position, was twoNash balls latter judged lbw by Watkin.In this case the ball was heading straight for the stumps, hit the toe ofWalshs bat and squirted down onto the toe of his boot.Walsh gave the umpire, Watkin, a furious glare, waved his bat a little,but then departed probably satisfied his protest had been noted, but waswithin the ICC code.The end came soon afterward, Franklyn Rose palpably lbw (this time Tiffinwas the umpire) but not before Rose had hit a big six from Daniel Vettoriover long leg.The pity was that so much of the West Indies batting in the previous fivehours had been vigilant against a persistent New Zealand attack workingon a pitch that had lost some pace, but occasionally offered a strangebounce.Sherwin Campbell was quickly, and obviously, lbw to Chris Cairns, butthen Adrian Griffith and Shivnarine Chanderpaul slowly lifted the total,only to have Griffith try a dodgy second run, and lost the race against abrilliant throw from Nash in the deep.This brought lunch at 83 for two, and afterward Lara and Chanderpaulsoldiered along manfully. Then, at 148 for two wickets and afterChanderpaul had batted well for his 70 runs in three hours, he got anoutside edge to Nash and was taken at the wicket – the third time in fourtest innings Chanderpaul had expired in this fashion.For once Jimmy Adams did not last long, taken on the glove from a flierfrom Nash. Lara, meantime, was cruising along comfortably, and RidleyJacobs helped lift the total to 189 before he went bat-pad to Vettoripitching in the rough for the umpteenth time.That may have been the beginning of the end, but the West Indianscertainly deserved a more dignified finish than to be flummoxed byWatkins umpiring.It was a pity that the New Zealand winning effort should come from such abizarre last chapter in a thoroughly engrossing game over four sunnyWellington days.