New Zealand 159-2 at tea against West Indies

NORTH SOUND: New Zealand were 159-2 at tea after choosing to bat on the opening day of the first of two Tests against the West Indies here on Wednesday with Martin Guptill still at the crease on 73.

The match saw top-order batsman Chris Gayle return to the West Indies Test line-up for the first time since December 2010.

In a relatively sedate opening the Black Caps, beaten in the preceding one-day series, settled down as Daniel Flynn and Guptill moved the score along after captain Ross Taylor won the toss.

Flynn had a scare when Kemar Roach made an early leg-before appeal in a slow start as six overs brought only as many runs.

But the pace then quickened as Flynn hit two boundaries off Darren Sammy before Guptill survived a caught-behind appeal.

Flynn hit another boundary off Sammy in the 18th over to bring the score up to 50 before Guptill slogged Sunil Narine for six.

A review then went against the hosts as Guptill was given not out lbw to Sammy following an inside edge.

A flurry of maidens held up the visitors either side of lunch before Flynn smashed Narine to the ropes while Guptill twice did the same to Ravi Rampaul.

As the 100 mark beckoned Narine landed his first Test wicket as Flynn miscued an effort to Kieran Powell at point.

Guptill then secured his half-century in driving Roach for another boundary.

New partner Brendon McCullum survived a review for lbw but then was out driving to Narsingh Deonarine at mid-off having made 25.

At tea, Guptill had made 73 with Ros Taylor on six.

Gayle has been absent from the Test side due to a standoff between himself and the West Indies Cricket officials board sparked by critical comments he made about officials in a radio interview after a sponsorship row.

He did return for the one-day series against England and played in the Twenty20s and ODIs against New Zealand but this will be his first Test appearance in 19 months.

During the standoff, the West Indies Test side used five different opening batsmen and between them they managed only three half-century partnerships in 31 innings.

This year the results have been even worse. During the series against Australia and England the West Indies opening partnerships averaged just 14.45.

The West Indies have dominated the tourists so far, taking the Twenty20 series 2-0 in which Gayle was awarded man of the series, and the ODI series 4-1 in which Gayle made an aggressive century and half-century. (AFP)