Christchurch, Dec 6 West Indies all-rounder Justin Greaves called it a “very special day” after he rescued his team with an unbeaten 202 and drew against New Zealand in the first Test at the Hagley Oval.
Greaves and Roach added 180 in an uninterrupted partnership for the seventh wicket after New Zealand set a total of 531 for the West Indies. The West Indies batted out 163.3 overs, with Greaves scoring 202 not out off 388 balls and Roach scoring 58 not out off 233.
Only England’s 654 for 5 in the classic Test match against South Africa in Durban in 1939 was higher than their 457 for 6, which was the second-highest fourth-innings total in Test cricket.
“It was just pretty much being resilient – the word we’ve thrown around in the dressing room a lot,” said Greaves. “So for me, to be there at the end was really important. So anything for the team at the end of the day.
“I had a really long chat with coach Floyd Reifer. And he was saying once you get in, stay in; it’s a good pitch. Rachin Ravindra and Tom Latham showed us in the second innings. So it was just for us to go out there and play ourselves.”
With a career-high score of 202 not out, Greaves led the Windies and briefly threatened to have the unachievable mark of 531 chased down. The Barbados right-hander is only the seventh player in Test history to score a double hundred in a match’s fourth innings.
Pace bowler Kemar Roach (58*), who also recorded his best-ever innings from 86 Test matches, provided him with fitting support. On Day 5, he faced 233 balls on an extremely flat Christchurch pitch during his exhausting 282-minute stint.
“Special, special day for me; special day for the team,” Greaves said. “We were pretty much up against it. So, to come out here, batting the whole day after losing Shai [Hope]… We thought we would have probably pushed for a win. But then Kemar, the senior pro, guided me all the way. So pretty much happy for him being there at the end as well.
“To be a part of history is ecstatic. But for me, one day at a time, continue to enjoy it. Probably it hasn’t sunk in just yet. Hopefully, over the next couple of days, it can.”
At one stage, the West Indies were 72 for 4, but Greaves and Shai Hope, who made 140, turned the innings around. They were on 277 for 6 when Hope and Tevin Imlach took wickets in rapid succession, but a victory was still possible as they went into the final session and needed 132 from at least 33 overs. In the end, they decided against it.
“For us, it was just about getting to the last session,” Greaves said. “We always spoke about 100 runs in the last session, probably with a few more wickets in hand. Obviously, losing Shai and then losing Imlach shortly after was a big thing. But I think we did really well in the end to come up with a draw.”
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