Heroic Greaves Powers West Indies to Memorable Triumph Over New Zealand

Justin Greaves delivered an exceptional nine-and-a-half-hour batting performance to etch his name into Caribbean cricket history with his maiden Test double century, leading the West Indies to an unexpected draw against New Zealand in the opening Test on Saturday.

The 31-year-old remained unbeaten on 202, serving as the cornerstone of West Indies’ impressive 457 for six, which stands as the second-highest fourth-innings total in Test match history. This effort came in pursuit of an ambitious victory target of 531 at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval.

Greaves’ approach was methodical rather than flamboyant. Although the New Zealand bowling attack was weakened due to injuries to seamers Nathan Smith and Matt Henry during the match, Greaves’ 388-ball effort resulted in a draw and earned his team its first points in the new World Test Championship cycle.

Partnering with Shai Hope (140), Greaves put together a 196-run stand and then added an unbroken 180-run partnership with Kemar Roach (58) for the seventh wicket, leading to a morale-boosting draw that felt akin to a victory.

“This is a special day for me and the team,” said Greaves, who was named player of the match. “We faced tough odds, so to come out here and bat the entire day was truly special… A really, really significant day for us as a group.”

The West Indies decided against pushing for an unlikely win in the final session, with Greaves emphasizing the resilience demonstrated by his team in their second-innings performance.

“Resilience is a word we often use in the dressing room. To be there at the end was really important for me. It’s all about the team at the end of the day,” he remarked.

Published on Dec 06, 2025.