KEY POINTS:
Napier has seen a cricket test match frequently punctuated by players throwing things away.
The West Indies threw away a wicket when wicketkeeper and bowler confused each other over a dolly of a catch in a farcical stuff-up by test standards.
New Zealand did their best to throw away a huge advantage last night, with flamboyant batters Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum throwing away their wickets. Worst of all, Windies quick bowler Daren Powell threw his toys out of the cot when he threw rather than bowled a delivery at McCullum.
Powell's petulant action, as New Zealand looked poised to build a healthy lead, told a sad story. World cricket is in a shaky state and the Windies' decline one of its worst sights.
The great fast bowlers of West Indies past didn't need to chuck the ball. They had fearsome weapons and big hearts to call on under pressure.
To have fallen to such a cheap trick would have been to run up a white flag to men like Malcolm Marshall, Andy Roberts and Joel Garner.
The cricket authorities must throw the book at Powell for his tantrum, which also involved an expletive-tinged exchange with McCullum. But the game would be best served if he was also reprimanded by his own team. It's a competitive game, but players must draw a line somewhere.
