Cricket: Rain and bad light shortens first day

Rain and gloomy skies shortened the opening day of the third and final cricket test between New Zealand and the West Indies in Napier today.

When bad light was offered to the tourists at 5.09pm the West Indies were 95 for one, with Brian Lara their shining hope on 28 and Daren Ganga, also unbeaten, on 31.

The Blacks Caps are eyeing a maiden three-nil clean sweep - their first against all countries.

New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming won the toss and sent the West Indies in to bat once play finally started at 3pm after heavy overnight rain left parts of the McLean Park outfield sodden, delaying the start by four and a half hours.

Play was originally suspended until 12.30pm when the umpires were to make a field inspection, but that assessment was pushed back to 2pm.

To alleviate concerns over the isolated damp patches in front of the main stand, the boundary rope was brought in by five metres.

Despite losing significant time, a 20-minute tea break was still allowed, with only 19 further minutes of play possible before fading light set in.

West Indian opener Chris Gayle opened his account as if he was racing against the clock, smashing five boundaries as he steamed towards his 30.

But after hitting Chris Martin to the midwicket boundary, the next delivery tucked him up and he lamely spooned to Peter Fulton at mid-off.

With the pitch slow and the cold air offering little assistance to the bowlers, Lara and Ganga settled into their work. Fleming used his pace attack in short, sporadic bursts.

From 37 for one, the pair reached 75 at tea with Lara, despite some absent footwork, looking more assured than he had all tour.

He found the boundary three times through sweet timing as New Zealand bowled a wide channel to him.

Lara produced some extravagant slashes over the backward point boundary, and apart from when James Franklin squeezed a ball between his bat and pad, Lara was rarely troubled.

His innings took 75 minutes, 25 more than his combined effort in his previous four knocks and it holds some promise that New Zealand fans may finally see the class from the left-hander, one of the game's greats.

Ganga looked composed in his innings. Play is scheduled to resume at 10am tomorrow.

New Zealand vice-captain Daniel Vettori hinted West Indies probably had a slight edge after the 27.2 overs they bowled today.

"When you expect to put a team in with overhead conditions being murky, it's never nice to bat in these situations," he said.

"You probably expect to pick up a couple more (wickets) and probably we expected more from the wicket but it wasn't there, so we realise how hard it's going to be tomorrow and I suppose bowling maidens like we did in Wellington is going to be the key."

Vettori also conceded Lara, who jumped up one place up in the batting order, had a runs scoring feel about him.

"He obviously came out at three because he was sick of waiting around for a chance to bat and I suppose he's made a statement already by coming out there and the way he played. He knuckled down and tried to get himself in and face some balls.

"He obviously wants to score some runs but it's up to us not let him do that."

Play is scheduled to resume at 10am tomorrow.

NZ v Windies stumps scoreboard

West Indies, First innings
C Gayle c Fulton b Martin 30
D Ganga not out 31
B Lara not out 28
Extras (2lb, 4nb) 6

Total (for 1 wkt, 27.2 overs) 95

Fall: 37 (Gayle).

Bowling: S Bond 9-0-40-0 (3nb), J Franklin 8-1-25-0 (1nb), C Martin 4-1-18-1, N Astle 6.2-2-10-0.

- NZPA