The first Test in Christchurch turned into a mix of drama, controversy and history as West Indies produced one of the biggest battles ever seen in the fourth innings, while New Zealand captain Tom Latham found himself in the middle of a heated moment with on-field umpire Alex Wharfe.
The final day of the first Test at Hagley Oval was already a disappointing one for New Zealand. He had used all three of his reviews without success, and the pressure increased as the West Indies refused to concede defeat in the opening match of the three-match Test series in Christchurch.
Tom Latham caught in umpire controversy during Christchurch Test
Kemar Roach survived a catch-back appeal in West Indies’ 143rd over, although replays later showed that the ball had hit the edge of his bat. With no review left, the New Zealand players could do nothing about it and the moment intensified the emotions to an extreme degree.
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The cameras soon caught Tom Latham and Michael Bracewell advancing towards umpire Alex Wharfe. In the broadcast audio, Latham was seen angrily asking the umpire to raise his finger. Tom Latham was heard saying, “Come on Wharfey (Alex Wharfe), put your bloody finger up, mate.”
Tom Latham’s comment immediately raised eyebrows, and now fans are wondering if the New Zealand captain could face action for his language towards the official.
Tom Latham says to the umpire, “Come on Wharfe (Alex Wharfe), put your bloody finger up, mate.”
– Azam-K (@MusafirNagri) 6 December 2025
What do ICC rules say?
Veteran batsman Tom Latham’s actions against Wharfe fall under Level 1 and Level 2 of Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which refers to ‘disagreement with an umpire’s decision during an international match’.
Level 1 involves minor disagreements such as head shaking, excessive frustration, foul language or aggressive appeals, resulting in a warning and a fine of up to 50% of the match fee.
Level 2 involves serious disagreement, blaming the umpires or abusive language. If the player is found guilty, he may be fined 50% or 100% of his match fee and may also be suspended for one Test match or two ODIs.
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West Indies fell just short of achieving record target in the fourth innings as Christchurch Test was drawn
While Latham’s outburst at the umpire attracted attention, the real story of the day was West Indies. Their fight on the last day was extremely sensational. Justin Greaves played the best inning of his life by playing an incredible inning of 202 not out in the fourth innings of the Test match.
At one point, Greaves had New Zealand worried about the prospect of chasing the magic target of 531. He got full support from Kemar Roach, who gave his best batting performance so far in his 86 Test career. Roach remained unbeaten on 58 after facing 233 balls in a marathon effort that lasted more than four and a half hours.
Greaves and Roach completely took New Zealand out of the game after lunch, as the hosts could not take a single wicket. By the end of the final day, West Indies scored 457 for 6 in 163.3 overs and fell just 74 runs short of the highest successful chase in Test history.
His total is now one of the highest fourth innings scores in five-day Test cricket. Only England’s mammoth 654 during the timeless Test of 1939 is higher. The record for the most successful chase is still held by West Indies and was the famous 418 runs against Australia in 2003.
