Cricket: Napier confirms Windies' failings

Lou Vincent on the way to his century. Marty Melville / Getty Images

If there was any remaining doubt over the awful ineptness of this West Indian side, it quickly evaporated yesterday in the heat of Hawkes Bay.

Having slumped to their 19th defeat in their past 21 completed ODIs, including their most recent five on the trot, the West Indies arrive in Auckland today in the middle of their worst losing streak, and with very little hope of changing anything in Saturday's series finale.

Suggestions that Shivnarine Chanderpaul's side were improving, that things were finally moving in the right direction, have been exposed as myths.

The tourists' effort yesterday was no worse than their past three matches, but provided final confirmation that nothing special should be expected any time soon, and that little is likely to change next week when the first test begins at Eden Park.

From the moment a tentative Chanderpaul won the toss and elected to bowl first rather than make first use of a beautiful batting pitch, the West Indies were up against it, and especially after New Zealand racked up 324 for six.

As it happened, the visitors didn't even get close, losing by 91 runs with two wickets intact despite a maiden and unbeaten ODI century from Runako Morton and a couple of cameos from Chanderpaul (30) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (42).

New Zealand's impressive target was underpinned by Lou Vincent's second ODI century. Nathan Astle continued his purple patch with 81 off 88 balls and Stephen Fleming again showed a glimpse of his striking power - smashing 67 off 59, including three consecutive sixes off Deighton Butler.

The total was New Zealand's highest against the West Indies, the fourth-highest against them overall, and was fuelled by a magnificent 156-run partnership between Vincent and Astle, a record for the second-wicket against all countries.

Vincent's innings was uncharacteristic in that he throttled back to play second fiddle to Fleming, who exploded into action after a quiet start, lashing 40 off 10 deliveries and bringing up his half century from just 36 balls.

Faced with such fireworks at the other end, Vincent showed previously undisclosed restraint, bringing up his 50 off 67 balls and taking 117 balls over his eventual total of 102, before holing out to off-spinner Chris Gayle.

Astle, too, would have been pleased with his contribution, and the fact he suggested yet again that the selectors had blundered over their earlier decision-making, when he was axed twice during the series against Sri Lanka and asked to work on his game at domestic level.

Since returning quickly as a substitute at Queenstown, Astle has scored 430 runs at 86.00 in seven international innings, and has made nonsense of claims that - at 34 years of age - he might now be over the hill.

It was also a red-letter day for paceman Kyle Mills, who celebrated his return with a strong performance, taking three for 45.

Yet, for all New Zealand's dominance, it had to be tempered by the knowledge that this was a dreadful West Indian outfit, a fact borne out by another diabolical fielding effort, a scattergun performance with the ball, and a poorly executed run-chase.

The only slight consolation for the Windies was the emergence of Morton and another promising effort from fast bowler Fidel Edwards.


Calling James Franklin - oops, I mean Kyle Mills

New Zealand's penchant for experimentation broke new ground yesterday when they named an absent player - James Franklin - in their official 12-man line-up.

Red-faced New Zealand officials were forced to seek a gentleman's agreement with the West Indies and the blessing of match referee Mike Proctor, after inadvertently including Franklin on the team list instead of Kyle Mills.

The respective line-ups are exchanged by the two captains before the toss and, under the laws of cricket, cannot be changed once the coin has fallen and the formalities of the exchange are complete.

Franklin, omitted from the one-day squad after playing in the first three matches, was performing all sorts of heroics for Wellington yesterday, scoring an eye-opening 208 against Auckland and helping his side to victory by an innings and 60 runs.

But even by his own lofty standards, making the dash from Wellington's Basin Reserve to Napier's McLean Park in less than 30 minutes seemed a tad unrealistic, unless of course there was some sort of arrangement with Michelle Boag and Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

Mills had been drafted into the squad for the third ODI at Christchurch as cover for Michael Mason, but was confirmed in the official 12 on Tuesday night, and was always going to play yesterday given the side's limited bowling options.

A NZC spokesman said yesterday the blunder was noticed by Proctor soon after the toss arrangements were completed.