WI make shaky start

Auckland, New Zealand - The West Indies were in early trouble on the opening morning of their four-day tour match against Auckland here today (last night Barbados time).

At lunch, they were 100 for four wickets with opener Sherwin Campbell on 34 and Jimmy Adams 18. The visitors chose to bat on winning the toss in their last preparation match prior to the two back-to-back Tests against New Zealand.

The first starts in Hamilton December 16, the second in Wellington on December 26.

Daren Ganga and Shivnarine Chanderpaul both went quickly and cheaply and, after captain Brian Lara stroked four effortless boundaries in 22 off 22 balls, he deflected a leg-side catch to wicket-keeper Reece Young from an intended pull off fast bowler Richard Morgan.

Ganga was opening for the second successive match in the absence of the left-hander Adrian Griffith who was still carrying a reported hamstring injury. He lasted six balls without scoring before he got a thin edge to the other opening bowler, Kyle Mills, and was caught by Young.

The left-handed Chanderpaul, fresh from an unbeaten 216 in the opening match against New Zealand ?A? in Taupo earlier in the week, was beaten and bowled by Morgan off his sixth delivery for one, bringing Lara in earlier than he would have hoped for.

Ricardo Powell, as usual, showed his hand from early with attacking strokes. He scored 20 from 21 balls and, after hitting Mills for a six, was out next ball to the same bowler.