Finally.
Had my first test win as West Indies manager and not a moment too soon. Basically, since the start of the game my record has been:
Played: 13
Won: 0
Lost: 9
Drawn: 4
Not a pretty sight.
After losing to Pakistan 0-2, I made pretty much wholesale changes to the side. Sammy was dropped as captain and Gayle was given it back. Chanderpaul, Bravo, Sarwan, Taylor, Roach and Rampaul all cleared out and I gave guys like Stoute and Bishoo a crack.
Down 0-1 against New Zealand with a test to play, we look pretty much gone after they post 432 (including a 155 run stand for the seventh wicket) and we get rolled for 256.
But then Jason Bennett, on test debut, rolls their top order through sheer awesomeness and sets us a chaseable target of 306.
Runako Morton, after scores of 4, 30, 5, 3 and 35, finally makes a contribution and is helped by Kirk Edwards and Devon Smith to chase down something awesome and end my thirteen-match winless streak. Edwards has been awesome for me: he was going to be dropped in the Bangladesh series because he was averaging about six after three tests but an injury to Smith saved him and he's scored two tons and three half centuries since.
Disappointing series really which we should have won. Set them 352 to win the first test but declared way too late and failed to bowl them out. Then set them in excess of 300 to win the second test and they chased it down with three wickets in hand as ****ing Neil Broom tonned up.
There's still heaps of problems with the team - mainly the batting lineup. I'll probably phase Dwayne Bravo back in, but finally we aren't conceeding 400+ every innings.