New Zealand's cricketers will be looking to settle scores when they meet West Indies in the first of two Tests after losing the five-match one-day series in controversial circumstances. The Barbados Daily Nations newspaper said that umpires Asoka de Silva of Sri Lanka and West Indies' Billy Doctrove could be censored by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following New Zealand's last-ball defeat in St Vincent.

The win gave West Indies the series 3-1 but New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming stormed after the match that the umpires had failed to keep account of how many overs each bowler had sent down, depriving him of a specialist one-day bowler for the crucial last over. Shivnarine Chanderpaul smashed 15 off the last over to win the match and the series for West Indies.

"This has certainly given us plenty of motivation to do well in this Test series," said Fleming, as he put his team through their paces at the Kensington Oval.

Match referee Wasim Raja confirmed that he had filed a report on the match to the ICC in London, who would decide if any measures should be taken against the umpires. He did not comment on the Daily Nation report that de Silva and Doctrove could face ICC sanctions over their conduct in St Vincent.

"I do not recall anything like this occurring before," Raja said. New Zealand need to win the Test series to maintain their newly acquired status as the third-best Test-playing nation, after Sri Lanka lost the three-Test series in England to slip to fourth place.

New Zealand are considering several changes to their line-up for the Test, with three players, Matthew Horne, Mark Richardson and Lou Vincent, competing for two opening spots.

Allrounder Chris Harris, in good form since being recalled to the Test team against England earlier this year, is being considered for the number four spot. Pace bowler Chris Martin has joined the squad to strengthen their fragile pace attack. Shane Bond found his rhythm in the final one-dayer but strike bowler Daryl Tuffey has struggled throughout the tour, returning figures of 1 for 159 from 25 overs in four matches.

The West Indian batting line-up has displayed a newfound consistency, with the Guyanese pair of Chanderpaul and Carl Hooper in excellent form. Chanderpaul averaged an astonishing 140.5 in the five-Test series against India which ended last month, scoring three hundreds and three half-centuries. He opened the batting in the one-dayers against New Zealand, scoring a century and averaging 61, but Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle are likely to open in the Tests.

Brian Lara struggled against India but played two crucial innings in the one-day series against New Zealand and seemed to be rediscovering his form after breaking his left elbow on the Sri Lankan tour last December.

The bowling attack has been less effective. Uncapped pace bowler Darren Powell has been recalled from West Indies' A tour of England to provide backup to the front-line seamers. Merv Dillon missed the St Vincent match because of a strained back and is not a certainty for the first Test. Legspinner Mahendra Nagamootoo returns after a two-month lay-off following injuries sustained in a car crash.

Squads
West Indies Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Carl Hooper (capt), Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Wavell Hinds, Ryan Hinds, Ridley Jacobs (wk), Pedro Collins, Cameron Cuffy, Adam Sanford, Merv Dillon, Darren Powell.

New Zealand Mark Richardson, Matthew Horne, Lou Vincent, Stephen Fleming (capt), Chris Harris, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Robbie Hart (wk), Scott Styris, Daniel Vettori, Ian Butler, Daryl Tuffey, Shane Bond, Chris Martin.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd