KEY POINTS:
Daniel Vettori, the old dry wit, had his best straight face on this week when he said that his New Zealand team enjoyed playing cricket in Queenstown because "it's a remarkable venue".
And remarkable not only because its cricket ground is nestled beneath The Remarkables mountain range with
the Crown Range at the other end. That makes it, if not the most spectacular setting in international cricket, then certainly in the grand final.
It's also been an uncommonly successful venue for New Zealand. Of the six ODIs at the Queenstown Events Centre, New Zealand have won five.
And those with a fondness for numbers will have noted this is the fourth match to be played here on New Year's Eve. The other three were all won by the hosts.
New Zealand should start favourites for the five-game series. They are invariably competitive in this form, have won 10 of 15 ODIs this year, and have several players who can make important contributions.
In that regard, they appear to differ from the West Indies, who lean heavily on three players for runs and a coterie of right-arm fast-medium bowlers.
Vettori has a theory why his players are more confident in the shorter game than in test cricket.
"It comes down to the structure of it," he said yesterday. "Bowlers have got 10 overs and you can simplify your job. You look at 60 balls and what you have to do. The batting unit has to get off to a quick start, build in the middle and go again at the end. Tests don't often follow those lines."
The pitch is hard and should be full of runs. Offspinner Jeetan Patel is likely to join new batsman Neil Broom on the sideline today.
"It's one of the few grounds in New Zealand with a bit of pace and bounce, therefore the seamers do tend to thrive a bit," Vettori said.
Vettori hopes a bit of momentum stays with New Zealand after their Twenty20 win in Hamilton on Sunday, and has no concerns on the change in mental requirements between the five-day and one-day games.
The West Indies three key batsmen, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, captain Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan, are sitting fourth, fifth and 13th on the latest International Cricket Council one-day batting rankings. New Zealand's best, Ross Taylor, is 29th.
However Sarwan, one of six survivors from their previous visit to Queenstown in 2006, insists the young players must pull their weight.
"We are the most experienced so it's important we try to give the young players as much support as we can. But it's important for them to learn as well," he said yesterday.
"It's a great chance for them to cement a place in the team. That should be the biggest goal for them, striving to be better players. We've already spoken to them, but it's a matter of them seizing the opportunity."
Among those younger players, allrounder Kieron Pollard appeals as a big-hitting medium pacer, who can get sharp lift, while left-arm spinner Nikita Miller took 10 wickets in the West Indian national first-class final for Jamaica last season.
New Zealand can do with a year-ending boost, and should be good enough to get it today.
* NZ v West Indies
Queenstown Events Centre, noon today. Live on Sky Sport 1
New Zealand (likely): Dan Vettori (c), Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Jamie How, Ross Taylor, Daniel Flynn, Jacob Oram, Grant Elliott, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Mark Gillespie.
West Indies: Chris Gayle (c), Sewnarine Chattergoon, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Xavier Marshall, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brendon Nash, Kieron Pollard, Shawn Findlay, Denesh Ramdin, Carlton Baugh, Jerome Taylor, Nikita Miller, Fidel Edwards, Daren Powell, Lionel Baker (four to be omitted).