New Zealand have West Indies on the ropes

Wellington: New Zealand took a firm grip on the second Test against the West Indies on Friday after forcing the tourists to follow on and reducing them to 135-5 at tea on day three.

The West Indies require a further 113 runs to make New Zealand bat again after a Test-best performance by Trent Boult (6-40) saw them skittled for 193 on their first innings` reply to the home team`s 441. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was not out 18 at tea with Denesh Ramdin on 15. Tim Southee has so far been the main destroyer with three for 24. It was the second time in consecutive Tests the Windies have been forced to follow on. They rose to the challenge in the first Test in Dunedin with 507 in their second innings, built on a double century by Darren Bravo. But there were no heroics in Wellington from the 24-year-old, who only faced two balls before he was caught behind fending off a short-pitched delivery from Neil Wagner. The West Indies had made a confident start to wiping out the arrears with Kieran Powell (36) and Kirk Edwards (35) putting on 74 for the first wicket, helped in part by the need to rest New Zealand`s swing spearheads Boult and Southee. They bowled unchanged through 12.5 overs in the morning session to take the final six West Indies wickets and were taken out of the attack in the second innings after two overs apiece. Powell and Edwards were more comfortable facing Wagner and Corey Anderson and took the score to 45-0 at lunch, but when Southee returned to the slot the wickets began falling again. In a nine-over spell he took three wickets, starting by softening up Powell with a bouncer and following up with a full delivery that swung into the stumps. Edwards was caught in the gully by Kane Williamson and Marlon Samuels was comfortably caught by Anderson at third slip for 12. When Boult returned to the attack shortly before tea he claimed Narsingh Deonarine (12) who edged a widish delivery back on to the stumps. Boult had been in devastating form in the morning session when he claimed five wickets, including four in the space of six deliveries.