Rain had the final say on the fourth day of the Hamilton test but not before the New Zealand bowlers had reasserted the dominance they had established over the West Indies batsman on the second day.

A sweeping shower extended the first drinks break 11 minutes and persistent rain drove the players from the field for good 15 minutes after lunch. For the West Indies, teetering on 64 for four, the interruption was a blessing.

The weather went with prediction but, unlike the previous three days, action was not long in coming in the opening session. Adrian Griffith and Sherwin Campbell resumed for the West Indies, having faced one over from Daniel Vettori at the beginning of the innings the previous evening. For the third delivery of Chris Cairns' first over, Campbell left an inviting gap between bat and pad for the ball to take an inside edge into the stumps. West Indies: no runs, one wicket.

Griffith played out a Dion Nash over before, in Cairns's second, the new batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, offered a defensive prod, succeeding only in getting an edge to Adam Parore behind the wickets. West Indies: no runs, two wickets.

Brian Lara, as usual full of purpose, almost immediately collected the first run of the morning. But, facing Nash in the next over, he launched into a drive. The ball left him and Parore again did the business. West Indies one for three and the reception for the West Indies skipper in the dressing room would have been worth hearing.

Ricardo Powell, operating the attack-as-defence strategy, set about Nash, his first six scoring shots all boundaries. Nash was not impressed, offering a steady ball-by-ball commentary on the batsman's efforts. Powell could claim the victory, Nash taken off, his five overs costing 29 runs for Lara's wicket.

At the other end, Griffith was applying his trademark shot, a withdrawal of the bat into the pads, as Cairns maintained a tight line across the left-hander.

However, Nash's departure was not good news for Powell. In Daniel Vettori's second over after replacing Nash -- and his first after the extended drinks break -- the West Indian right-hander drove, succeeding only in giving Spearman catching practice at slip. Powell's entertaining innings had brought him 30 runs, 28 in fours. It also took the West Indies into credit. However, Jimmy Adams was coming to the wicket with his team effectively 14 for four and looking at the gathering clouds for relief.

Cairns, who had taken two for eight off his nine overs, was replaced first by Nash and then the off-spinner Paul Wiseman as Stephen Fleming attempted to gain a bonus before lunch. However, Adams and Griffith took the West Indies to the break at 62 for four, a lead of 34, without further disaster.

Four runs were added in the 15 minute after lunch as Adams and Griffith withstood the efforts of New Zealand's most effective combination, Cairns and Vettori.

A tight line from Cairns (2 for 11) and sharp turn and bounce from Vettori (1 for 10) ensured difficulties for all the West Indies batsmen. Ill-discipline in some cases did the rest.

With a lead of just 38 and four top batsmen ruing their efforts, the West Indies are likely to be looking to more weather relief to avoid embarrassment on the last day of the first test of the season's National Bank series.

© 1999