Kavem Hodge struck his second Test century to anchor a resilient West Indies batting effort on day three of the third Test against New Zealand, as the visitors avoided the follow-on at the Bay Oval on Saturday.
Hodge was unbeaten on 109 at stumps, with Anderson Phillip on 12, as West Indies reached 381 for six in reply to New Zealand’s imposing 575 for eight. The effort ensured the Caribbean side stayed in the contest despite missing first-Test centurion Shai Hope, who has been sidelined for the last two days due to illness.
New Zealand lead the three-match series 1-0 after the opening Test ended in a draw and the Black Caps secured a nine-wicket win in the second.
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Hodge’s hundred marked a timely return to form. His previous Test century came against England at Trent Bridge in July 2024, but he had crossed fifty only once in the 16 innings since. Batting for nearly three-and-a-half hours, Hodge slowed briefly in the nervous nineties before pulling Michael Rae to reach his century off 224 deliveries.
“I’m grateful, to be honest,” Hodge said. “A batter’s currency is runs, and I’m happy I was able to contribute. I’ve been trying to understand what conditions in New Zealand demand and come up with a plan to combat it.”
After struggling to cement his place following his maiden hundred, Hodge missed the first Test of the series and made scores of 0 and 35 in the second. Given another opportunity, he responded with composure and authority, arriving at the crease early on Saturday after John Campbell fell in the second over of the day and batting through the remainder of the session.
Hodge stitched together vital partnerships 66 with Tevin Imlach (27), 61 with Alick Athanaze (45) and 81 with Justin Greaves (43) to steady the innings. He played the New Zealand spinners confidently, often from the back foot, and punished short deliveries from the pacers with crisp pulls through the leg side.
“One of my strengths is scoring square of the wicket,” Hodge said. “I tried to back myself, stick to the process and apply the plan.”
West Indies’ resolve mirrored their effort in the first Test, where they batted for 163.3 overs in the second innings to save the match. Earlier on Saturday, openers Brandon King and John Campbell laid a solid platform with a 111-run stand, their first century partnership and only the sixth opening stand of 100 or more for West Indies in the past 11 years.
Campbell made 45 before edging Jacob Duffy to second slip, while King’s 63 ended when a late-swinging delivery from Duffy crashed into his stumps. Imlach and Athanaze fell between lunch and tea as New Zealand continued to chip away on a surface that gradually lost its responsiveness.
After tea, Daryl Mitchell and spinner Ajaz Patel bowled effectively in tandem, removing Greaves and Roston Chase in quick succession, both lbw and both unsuccessful reviews. Patel’s dismissal of Chase marked his 86th Test wicket, and his first on home soil.
West Indies crossed the follow-on mark shortly before stumps, and New Zealand are unlikely to enforce it, having opted to bat first to avoid a potentially challenging fourth-innings chase on a pitch expected to offer more turn over the final two days.
(By PTI Inputs)
