KINGSTON, Jamaica - Heavy rainfall during the lunch break was set to ruin the first one-day cricket international between New Zealand and the West Indies here today.
The players were walking back onto the ground as the West Indies prepared to chase New Zealand's total of 176 when the rain came
in a torrential downpour.
It was still falling 30 minutes later and any chance of play resuming looked remote. There was no reserve day scheduled, with the teams due to fly to St Lucia tomorrow for a double-header at the weekend.
Aside from Craig McMillan's 69 off 101 balls, New Zealand rarely put up a fight as they struggled against an accurate home attack on a variable, barren surface. They were bowled out two balls short of 50 overs.
They made a disastrous start after captain Stephen Fleming won the toss, losing Fleming and Nathan Astle inside the first five overs. It was their first opening partnership since the record stand of 193 against Pakistan in March last year.
Both were removed by paceman Mervyn Dillon, Astle when he guided a seaming ball to second slip and Fleming when he attempted an ungainly pull shot, fell over, and hit a catch straight to backward square leg.
The innings was never going to rise to any heights when Chris Nevin and Chris Harris both departed soon afterwards to leave New Zealand teetering at 37 for four off 16 overs.
Nevin spooned a leading edge off towering Cameron Cuffy, while Harris played out two maiden overs from part-time spinner Chris Gayle before lofting a sweep to deep backward square leg.
McMillan and Lou Vincent provided the only partnership of substance, adding 67 off 17 overs to at least provide a base for the Black Caps to push on to 200.
McMillan reached his 15th one-day international 50 in his 116th match off 76 balls -- including just three fours -- just before Vincent was trapped in front by Cuffy for 20.
New Zealand then lost McMillan and Scott Styris in the space of four balls to dash any hope of a fightback. McMillan charged left-arm spinner Ryan Hinds and hit him straight to long-on while Styris got a lifter from Pedro Collins and lobbed a return catch to make it 134 for seven.
Only some late blows from Daniel Vettori and Shane Bond, who was unbeaten on 19 including a six, lifted the total past 150.
The West Indies were a polished bowling and fielding unit, with Dillon and Cuffy doing the early damage before the three spinners took over. Gayle took three for 27 off 9.4 to be the pick of the bowlers.
Scoreboard after the first innings in the first one-day cricket international:
New Zealand
S Fleming c R Hinds b Dillon 0
N Astle c Hooper b Dillon 1
C Nevin c Sarwan b Cuffy 8
C McMillan c Gayle b R Hinds 69
C Harris c Collins b Gayle 8
L Vincent lbw b Cuffy 20
S Styris c and b Collins 9
D Vettori b Gayle 15
D Tuffey c Chanderpaul b R Hinds 1
S Bond not out 19
P Hitchcock b Gayle 7
Extras (10lb, 4w, 5nb) 19
Total (49.4 overs) 176
Fall: 1 (Astle), 5 (Fleming), 14 (Nevin), 37 (Harris), 104 (Vincent), 132 (McMillan), 134 (Styris), 135 (Tuffey), 155 (Vettori), 176 (Hitchcock).
Bowling: M Dillon 10 overs 1 maiden 33 runs 2 wickets (1nb, 1w), C Cuffy 10-1-28-2 (1nb, 1w), P Collins 10-1-31-1 (3nb, 1w), C Gayle 9.4-2-27-3, C Hooper 6-0-28-0, R Hinds 4-0-19-2 (1w).
- NZPA
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Heavy rainfall during the lunch break was set to ruin the first one-day cricket international between New Zealand and the West Indies here today.
The players were walking back onto the ground as the West Indies prepared to chase New Zealand's total of 176 when the rain came
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