NZ Rise To Second In WTC Rankings After 323-run Win Against WI

NZ rise to second in WTC rankings after 323-run win against WI (Image Source: IANS)

New Zealand climbed to second on the ICC World Test Championship table after completing a dominant 323-run win over the West Indies in the third and final Test at Mount Maunganui.

The comprehensive victory lifted New Zealand above South Africa, with only Australia ahead of them in the WTC standings.

New Zealand's next assignment is a three-match World Test Championship series against England, scheduled for the middle of next year.

The West Indies, meanwhile, remain ninth on the table and will return to action at home next year in a series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

The Black Caps sealed the result midway through the final session at Bay Oval, with left-arm seamer Jacob Duffy claiming the final wicket to bring the match to a close. The performance also capped off an outstanding series for Duffy, earning him the Player of the Series award.

Duffy was the standout bowler in the West Indies’ second innings, returning figures of 5/42 as the visitors were bowled out for 138 while chasing a daunting target of 462. He finished the series with 23 wickets, playing a central role in New Zealand’s 2-0 series win and a strong start to their World Test Championship campaign.

In the process, the left-armer surpassed a long-standing national milestone, breaking Richard Hadlee’s record for the most wickets by a New Zealander in a calendar year. His third five-wicket haul of the series took his tally beyond Hadlee’s previous mark of 80.

"I saw that list (most wickets in a calendar year) at lunch time, and there were some cool names on there, so to be up there on any sort of list with those sort of names was special," Duffy admitted.

New Zealand’s bowlers were backed up by a monumental effort with the bat, led by openers Devon Conway and captain Tom Latham. The pair created history by becoming the first opening combination in Test cricket to each register two centuries in the same match.

"I saw that list (most wickets in a calendar year) at lunch time, and there were some cool names on there, so to be up there on any sort of list with those sort of names was special," Duffy admitted.

"I don't think it's sunk in yet. It will take some time for me to get my head around what happened in this Test match. But I'm really glad we got the win," Conway said.

Article Source: IANS