Styris stars as Kiwis share honours with West Indies

Scott Styris starred for New Zealand Thursday, backing up an unbeaten century with two wickets in three balls to even the honours on the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies.
Styris joined Nathan Astle to pull New Zealand out of the mire when they were four for 69 and helped them to a respectable 275.
Then, when the West Indies were 47 without loss, it was Styris who joined Chris Martin in a lethal nine-ball spell which saw three wickets fall for just three runs.
At stumps the West Indies were 51 for three with Ramnaresh Sarwan on three and master batsman Brian Lara yet to score. The intended night-watchman Ian Bradshaw was out for nought.
When Shivnarine Chanderpaul won the toss and elected to bowl he was immediately rewarded. New Zealand's experimental novice top order failed, and captain Stephen Fleming could do no better as the hosts slid to 69 for four.
The innings was salvaged by 103 not out from Styris, his fifth Test century, and 51 from Astle, with the next highest score coming from 26 extras.
Jamie How and Hamish Marshall, opening a Test for the first time, were both out for 11, Peter Fulton made 17 on his Test debut, and Fleming was out for 14 as the West Indies controlled the first session.
Apart from How, who was run out when a straight drive from Marshall deflected off Bradshaw's hand on to the stumps, the other three batsmen were all guilty of rash shots rather than exceptional bowling.
Astle wrested the momentum back for New Zealand as he raced to 51 in quick time after lunch. He then became a victim of his expansive style when an attempted drive off Dwayne Smith saw an edge fly to the safe hands of Denesh Ramdin.
SCOREBOARD
NEW ZEALAND (1st innings):

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H. Marshall c Edwards b Taylor         11

J. How run out (Bradshaw)              11

P. Fulton c Ganga b Bradshaw           17

S. Fleming c Ramdin b Bradshaw         14

N. Astle c Ramdin b Smith              51

S. Styris not out                     103

B. McCullum b Smith                    19

D. Vettori c Gayle b Smith              6

J. Franklin c sub (Morton) b Gayle     14

S. Bond b Gayle                         3

C. Martin C Ramdin b Bradshaw           0

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EXTRAS: (B-4, LB-2, W-9, NB-11)        26

TOTAL: (all out)                      275

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FALL OF WICKETS: 1-23, 2-31, 3-54, 4-69, 5-140, 6-170, 7-199, 8-240, 9-261.
BOWLING: Edwards 15-1-76-0 (3nb, 1w), Bradshaw 23.1-3-73-3 (2nb, 2w), Taylor 8-2-39-1 (5nb, 2w), Smith 18-2-71-3 (1w), Gayle 5-0-10-2
WEST INDIES (1st innings):

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C. Gayle c McCullum b Styris           25

D. Ganga c How b Martin                20

I. Bradshaw c How b Styris              0

R. Sarwan not out                       3

B. Lara not out                         0

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EXTRAS: (LB-1, NB-2)                    3

TOTAL: (for 3 wkts)                    51

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