NEW ZEALAND v WEST INDIES 1979-80

At Auckland, February 29, March 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Drawn. Howarth again sent West Indies in after winning the toss and again the seamers had assistance, although the bounce was modest. McEwan, in his first Test, took a splendid catch at slip to dismiss Greenidge, and until lunch the batsmen were defeated regularly. Rowe struggled for three hours over 50, but passed 2,000 runs in Tests. Ninety minutes of play were lost through rain as West Indies struggled to 146 for five. On the second day the game did not resume until 2.30, and West Indies reached 220 only with the aid of some bad lapses in New Zealand's fielding. The next day was washed out and the rest day became the third day. By the end of it New Zealand were 239 for four, mainly through the conscientious batting of Edgar who was in for seven and a quarter hours for his 127. Howarth and Coney also batted stubbornly, but this time the tail collapsed and New Zealand led by only 85. Garner, the first West Indian bowler to appreciate the value of keeping the ball up, took five for 13 in his last spell. By the end of the fourth day West Indies were 36 ahead, with Haynes and Rowe out, but on the final day thee was little prospect of a finish. Troup, with his best display in Tests, took ten wickets in the match, and West Indies could not score fast enough to make a practical declaration. New Zealand were left 154 minutes to score 180, and although there were two early run-outs the game petered to a close, bad light ending it twenty minutes early.