MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand, Dec 20 (AFP): Kavem Hodge scored his second Test century on Saturday as the West Indies avoided the follow-on in the third Test at Mount Maunganui
At stumps on the third day, the West Indies were 381-6, still 194 runs behind with Hodge unbeaten on 109 and Anderson Phillip at the other end on 12.
The 32-year-old Hodge crawled to his century off 224 balls, hitting 12 boundaries and being dropped on 74 by Daryl Mitchell off Ajaz Patel.
It took him 33 balls to get through the 90s, including a long stoppage on 97 after he was hit a painful blow in the box by a Michael Rae delivery.
"Thankfully I was able to get over it and go past the landmark," Hodge said.
"I told myself, hey, I spent all day to get 90. I still have all day tomorrow. Just stick to the processes.
"It makes no sense I work so hard from zero to 90 and then go change. So just stick to the processes, keep concentrating every opportunity I get."
Hodge shared in an 81-run partnership with Justin Greaves which edged the visitors closer to the follow-on target of 375, and fifty stands with Tevin Imlach and Alick Athanaze.
New Zealand received a spark from an unlikely source when Mitchell trapped Greaves lbw for 43, just his fourth Test wicket in his 35th match.
Batting suddenly looked a lot harder, as West Indies captain Roston Chase came and went, trapped lbw by Patel.
Leading batsman, Shai Hope was missing Saturday because of food poisoning.
Phillip came to the crease and should have been out for two when edging Patel to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell, but New Zealand did not appeal. He was then dropped on eight from Patel's bowling by Rae at mid-on.
Jacob Duffy had 2-79 from 31 overs, while Patel took 2-94 in 33 overs to end his unwanted record of being the bowler to take the most Test wickets without a single one at home.
Patel's 86th Test wicket was his first in New Zealand, bowling Athanaze in the middle session some 2,562 days since his first Test in New Zealand and with his 394th ball on home soil.
"It was more like, once that was out of the way, then I can focus solely on the game and not have that in the back of my mind," Patel said.
"I think there were probably moments where I maybe went searching for it.
