WELLINGTON, New Zealand (CMC) — Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel reached 150 wickets in his landmark 50th Test but Henry Nicholls’s chancy, unbeaten hundred gave New Zealand the edge on the opening day of the second Test at the Basin Reserve yesterday.

The 32-year-old Gabriel bowled his heart out to claim three for 57 from 18 overs as the hosts, sent in on another grassy pitch, finished on 294 for six when play ended.

Speedster Chemar Holder snatched two for 65 on an impressive debut, but the Black Caps enjoyed the rub of the green, recovering from a stumbling start to end strongly thanks to Nicholls’ 117 not out.

The 29-year-old left-hander rode his luck, let off four times before he had reached fifty, before completing his sixth Test hundred about 35 minutes before the close.

He was dropped on 21 by Shamarh Brooks at short leg off pacer Alzarri Joseph and then missed at long leg on 29 by Jermaine Blackwood who mis-judged the batsman’s pull only to watch the ball sail over the ropes for six.

Nicholls was then put down twice by Darren Bravo at first slip on 47 — the first chance, a regulation catch off Gabriel in the fourth over after the first drinks break after tea and the second, an equally straightforward offering off captain Jason Holder three overs later.

He has faced 207 balls and struck 15 fours and a six.

Will Young, afforded his second Test after captain Kane Williamson pulled out to be with his pregnant wife for the birth of their first child, chipped in with 43 while all-rounder Daryl Mitchell struck a breezy 42 and wicketkeeper BJ Watling, 30.

Only the eighth West Indies fast bowler to play 50 Tests, Gabriel started loosely with too full a length and leaked 21 runs in his opening two overs as stand-in captain Tom Latham (27) put on 31 for the first wicket with Tom Blundell (14).

Once he found his rhythm, however, Gabriel got the breakthrough in the morning’s seventh over when he brought one back sharply to comprehensively bowl Blundell.

Latham then combined with Young in a 32-run, second wicket stand which denied West Indies success for the remainder of the hour but Chemar Holder struck in the sixth over after the drinks break, getting the first ball of his third over to straighten and find Latham’s edge through to debutant wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva.

And Gabriel gave West Indies the slight advantage at lunch when veteran Ross Taylor, who survived a torrid 12-ball period at the crease, played back and edged one that left him and was caught at the wicket for nine to leave the Black Caps on 82 for three.

Nicholls, unbeaten on two at lunch, then anchored the innings in three successive half-century stands which frustrated the visitors and starved them of real success.

First, he put on 70 for the fourth wicket with Young who struck fours off 87 balls in just under three hours, the pair safely navigating the first hour after lunch.

Gabriel broke the stand in the sixth over after the drinks break to pick up his 150th Test wicket, finding Young’s edge for Jason Holder to complete a stunning one-handed catch, diving full strength low to his right at second slip.

Nicholls, who reached his half-century 15 minutes before tea when he forced Gabriel through wide long on for his sixth boundary, added a further 55 for the fifth wicket with Watling, a stand that saw New Zealand to 170 for four at the interval.

Watling punched six fours in a busy 51 balls knock before playing on to pacer Alzarri Joseph about three-quarters of an hour after tea but Mitchell arrived to counter-attack with five fours in his 68-ball stay, while posting 83 for the sixth wicket with Nicholls.

With the sting virtually gone from the Windies attack, Nicholls took command, driving Chase for his 12th four to move into the 90s, before collecting a streaky couple to backward point off a leading edge off Chemar Holder, to reach three figures.

Mitchell, dropped on 38 by Jason Holder at slip off off-spinner Roston Chase, was finally removed when Chemar Holder trapped him lbw in the fourth over before the close.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES

*T Latham wkp Da Silva b C Holder 27

T Blundell b Gabriel 14

W Young c J Holder b Gabriel 43

R Taylor c wkp Da Silva b Gabriel 9

H Nicholls not out 117

+BJ Watling b Joseph 30

D Mitchell lbw b C Holder 42

K Jamieson not out 1

Extras (b2, lb6, w3) 11

TOTAL (6 wkts, 84 overs)

294

To bat: T Southee, N

Wagner, T Boult

Fall of wickets: 1-31

(Blundell), 2-63 (Latham), 3-78

(Taylor), 4-148 (Young), 5-203

(Watling), 6-286 (Mitchell)

Bowling: Gabriel 18-5-57-3, J Holder 22-5-62-0,

Joseph 17-2-65-1, C Holder

18-1-65-2, Chase 9-1-37-0.

WEST INDIES – K Brathwaite, J

Campbell, D Bravo, S Brooks,

R Chase, J Blackwood,

+J Da Silva, *J Holder, A

Joseph, C Holder, S Gabriel.

Toss: West Indies.

Umpires: Chris Gaffaney,

Chris Brown

TV Umpire: Wayne

Knight.