IN what was a much-improved start to Day 2 by West Indies, Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls were dismissed early in the morning session on Friday, but Kane Williamson continued to march on with another assured period of batting display by the New Zealand skipper, helping the side to 346 for 4 on Lunch.

Resuming the day on 243 for 2, after half-centuries from Tom Latham and Williamson on the opening day proved to be a solid counter on a green wicket where West Indies had elected to bowl, New Zealand had seized the advantage in the Hamilton encounter.

 However, Shannon Gabriel struck in the second over of the morning, inducing an edge off Ross Taylor’s bat, ending the veteran batsman’s stay on 38 and separating the third-wicket alliance on 83.

Soon after Williamson brought up his 22nd Test century by rocking back in his crease and pulling a short of length delivery for a boundary through the off side for a boundary.

 It remained a feature of his batting, soon prompting the West Indian skipper to employ a fielder at deep point. The New Zealand skipper defended balls that were on the offstump or close to the stump line but was quick to cash in on anything wide or too short.

As a result, despite being in no hurry to score, he picked runs at ease and remained the only New Zealand batsman to do so without the struggle in the morning session where West Indian bowlers bowled tighter channels.

 Of the 103 runs scored in the session, Williamson picked 71. There were times when the balls jagged back and away to cause discomfort. There were times when Alzarri Joseph even came round the wicket. But none of it proved effective against Williamson.

Tom Blundell didn’t look as comfortable through the course of his stay but was happy to bide his time in the middle, trying to replicate the approach adopted by his captain. Henry Nicholls, though, wasn’t as disciplined and ended up getting lured into a drive by Kemar Roach and edging a ball to Jason Holder at slips, while batting on 7.

His dismissal though remained the last of the success for the visitors in the opening session as Williamson and Blundell provided able defiance, batting more than an hour of play before lunch for 65 runs, of which the latter contributed only 8.

On an absorbing opening day at Seddon Park extended to 19;30hrs (02:30hrs) Eastern Caribbean time) after the first session was lost to persistent rain, the Black Caps coasted to 243 for two with Williamson unbeaten on a calculated 97.

Latham perished for 86 when seemingly set for his 12th Test hundred while Ross Taylor came late to further frustrate an already tired Windies attack with an unbeaten 31.

With rain around and boosted by the sight of a green top, West Indies opted to bowl first after play finally got underway at 13:00hrs (20:00hrs ECT), but found themselves starved of success dispute the early capture of debutant Will Young for four in the fourth over of the afternoon.

The right-hander had been missed the previous delivery off speedster Shannon Gabriel when he nicked one between wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich and Darren Bravo at first slip, for the only four of his innings to third man.

Dowrich initially moved to his right but then pulled out while Bravo turned his back, allowing the chance to go a-begging.

Off the very next delivery, however, Gabriel produced a full-length delivery that was angled in, trapping Young palpably lbw as he played across.

Arriving at the crease with his side on 14 for one, Williamson wasted little time finding his stride in an innings which has so far consumed 219 balls and included 16 fours.

Importantly, he posted 154 for the second wicket with the left-handed Latham, who faced 184 balls and struck 12 fours and a six, the pair taking the Black Caps to tea on 99 without further loss.

Both were unhurried early on and New Zealand crawled to 23 for one off 11 overs inside the first hour and 62 for one at the second drinks break, as captain Jason Holder rung the changes in a session extended to nearly three hours.

Latham provided the early momentum and was unbeaten on 45 at tea but escaped with a life in the penultimate over before the break when West Indies opted against reviewing an appeal for caught behind off Holder, with subsequent TV replays confirming a thin edge.

The tourists also muffed another chance to claim Latham on 80, the 28-year-old finding himself stranded after being sent back over a short single, only for Shamarh Brooks to miss the stumps at the striker’s end with his throw from short square.

Seamer Kemar Roach, who played the Test despite death of his father hours earlier in Barbados, ensured the miss did not prove costly as he bowled Latham through the gate with the second ball of his second spell after tea, with one that angled in and straightened.

But any hopes of further breakthroughs were quickly dashed, however, as Taylor, who has hit five fours in 61 balls at the crease, put on 75 in an unbroken third-wicket partnership with Williamson to sustain the Black Caps’ advantage.

The unruffled Williamson, on 39 at tea, spent 22 balls on 49 before reaching his 33 Test half-century off the first ball following the first drinks break.

With Windies seamers finally finding their lengths inside the last hour, Williamson and Taylor survived a difficult period, especially against Alzarri Joseph who beat the bat several times in an impressive five-over spell that yielded four maidens and just seven runs.