Cricket: Black Caps can salvage series

BJ Watling has been the team's form batsman. Photo / AP

We'll know whether a return of leadership, a repeat of dominant fielding and a promise of batting vigilance can save the New Zealand cricket team's one-day international series against the West Indies this morning.

A win in game four would take the visitors past the hosts in the ODI world rankings with everything riding on the last game. New Zealand would go from 85 to 86 points into seventh; the West Indies would drop from 86 points to 85. A loss of the match (and the series) would anchor New Zealand in eighth, regardless of the final result on Tuesday (New Zealand time), also at St Kitts' Warner Park.

Captain Ross Taylor has every chance of returning from his shoulder injury. He has trained fully over the last couple of days. He will enter the struggling top order at No 4. Daniel Flynn will likely make way after starts of 22, 12, 21 and 28 across the Twenty20 and one-day series.

The other top order batting contenders Martin Guptill, Rob Nicol and stand-in captain Kane Williamson can at least claim a one-day half-century. Tom Latham can count himself fortunate to remain, with scores of 15, 19, 2 and 12 since arriving in Miami.

While Brendon McCullum returns to No 3, he is not expected to take the gloves. Latham looks set to keep wicket after BJ Watling suffered a quadriceps injury. Watling has been the team's form batsman with ODI scores of 60, 72 not out and 40.

The return of McCullum's enthusiasm and self-belief is timely after the slump of four losses to start the tour. Inserting him in the field will bolster spirits. There were a couple of dropped catches and the odd "Harbour bridge" in the outfield but the run outs instigated by Tim Southee (throwing to Kyle Mills), Guptill (direct hit) and Williamson (to Nathan McCullum) were world-class, as was McCullum's catch of Dwayne Smith running backwards from cover.

The result could hinge on how operation GGQ (Get Gayle Quick) is executed but the third ODI combination of Trent Boult (rattling Chris Gayle with an early yorker) and Tim Southee (coaxing an edge to slip) proved useful. Regardless, New Zealand needs more runs to guarantee a contest.

Their 249 for nine in the last match was still a relatively low winning total on a flat wicket. The West Indies appeared to panic after Gayle's premature dismissal. Middle order batsmen had to think about padding up rather than watching a series of leather missiles sail toward Basseterre Bay.

During this series New Zealand has failed to match coach John Wright's ODI mantra of losing no more than three wickets by the 35-over mark. In the first match they were 117 for six; in the second 177 for four; and in the third 152 for five. Meet that target and they stand a decent show of levelling the series.

Observe that by way of another comparison. New Zealand has six fifties in the ODI series to date. Watling has two of them and the top score of 72 not out; the West Indies have two half-centuries and two centuries.

The conclusion: New Zealand's batsmen need to occupy the crease for longer periods.