Shannon Gabriel was let down by his fielders. Photo / Photosport
Shannon Gabriel was let down by his fielders. Photo / Photosport
No one exemplified the West Indies' anguish in the second cricket test at the Basin Reserve better than Shannon Gabriel.
Apart from a wayward couple of opening overs adjusting to the blustery first day conditions, the right-arm pace bowler with the blindside flanker build toiled manfully in his 50th match,taking 3-93 from 26 overs in New Zealand's 460.
Once the 32-year-old settled into a rhythm, he stormed away from the RA Vance Stand end with vigour.
Consistent good-to-full-length missiles were fired at the Black Caps batsmen from an action which teeters away from the stumps before whipping into a hostile catapult.
He asked questions which his teammates couldn't answer.
Time and again, Gabriel propelled himself at the popping crease, embodying captain Jason Holder's call after the first test to push the ball further up to the batsmen and "dig a little deeper". His successes saw the removal of Tom Blundell, Will Young and Ross Taylor, three of the top four.
Shannon Gabriel. Photo / Photosport
Then that initial vim evaporated as the disappointments mounted.
He left a run-up of despondent boot prints embedded in the outfield. An upright purposeful stride turned into a slouching bow-legged gait; broad shoulders tensed into a frustrated hunch; and eventually the calamitous fielding brought the sort of apathetic shrug reserved for a man who has lost faith.
Gabriel seamed a ball past Henry Nicholls two balls before lunch on the opening day, then suffered the indignity of Darren Bravo dropping a regulation first slip catch when the New Zealand No 5 was 47. The stump microphone captured the Trinidadian offering a pointed two-syllable directive to his compatriot, which suggested their chances of dining together at night were slim.
Shannon Gabriel was let down by his fielders. Photo / Photosport
Again Nicholls escaped on 76, slicing the West Indies attack spearhead wide of gully. He finished with a test-best 174.
Next Gabriel's attention turned to Kyle Jamieson. When the New Zealand No 8 drove to mid-on on eight, the pace bowler picked up and shied at the stumps… he missed. A ball also zipped between Jamieson's bat and pad when he was 10 and the Black Cap escaped from a Gabriel lbw review on 15 which the ball-tracker declared was missing leg and going over the stumps. It was time for a breather.
He came back for a final spell against the tail, only for No 10 Neil Wagner to wallop him to long leg on 20 and have Alzarri Joseph spill the crimson cargo. Out came the double teapot, a turn on the heel and yes, the shrug. Gabriel had reached peak indignation.
