Cricket: Black Caps on test roll after thumping West Indies
New Zealand are on a test roll; and that makes it doubly a shame they now come to a grinding halt in the five-day game for 100 days.
Today's 240-run thumping of the West Indies secured a 2-0 win, a fourth win in their last five tests at Seddon Park, to go with one draw, and a record of 13 wins, three draws and just three losses at home since late 2013.
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There was to be a third West Indies test until New Zealand Cricket opted to drop it in favour of enlarging the limited-overs component of the tour.
For those with short attention spans the good news, though, is there's a minimum 23 short form internationals, back to back, to look forward from now until mid-March.
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''The lads love test cricket, they really enjoy playing it,'' Williamson said yesterday.
''We're on the low side of test matches this year (with only two against England to bookend the season) but I think you'll see in time with the test championship coming up there will be a lot more.''
Williamson knows his test team will need to pick themselves up after three months of only 50 or 20-over cricket to face a competitive England side. Still, you take what you can get and New Zealand were very good in this two-test rubber, the third out of the last four at home that they've won 2-0.
From the time the West Indies lost overnight pair Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope inside the first hour yesterday, the contest was up.
Roston Chase and Ray Reifer dug in admirably, putting on 78 over two hours of graft to show what was possible with a bit of care and concentration, but that was it.
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Trent Boult (L) and Neil Wagner of the New Zealand Black Caps celebrate following day four of the Second Test Match between New Zealand and the West Indies. photo / Getty Images.