Close New Zealand 337 and 243 beat West Indies 107 and 269 (Gayle 73, Lara 73, Bond 5-78) by 204 runs
scorecard

New Zealand won the first Test inside four days after bowling West Indies out for 269. Not only was it their first Test victory in the Caribbean but it was all the sweeter in that it came in Barbados, the fortress of West Indies cricket where there had been just three wins by tourists in 38 previous Tests.

West Indies resumed chasing the almost impossible target of 474 to win and with two full days remaining, little chance of grinding out a draw. They started as if they were determined to go down with all guns blazing, Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle laying into the erratic Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey. It was entertaining but while it lasted, but it was only ever going to be a defiant last hurrah. Although New Zealand only took one wicket before lunch - Hinds popped up an easy catch to Mark Richardson at short leg off Daniel Vettori for 37 – the floodgates opened after the break.

Ramnaresh Sarwan competed a wretched match when his misguided pull off Bond lobbed to Vettori (133 for 2). He had made 18 to add to his first-baller and two dropped catches yesterday. Then Gayle was undone leg-before by a fizzing delivery from Bond for a three-hour 73 (142 for 3) and Carl Hooper swished at a wide delivery from Daryl Tuffey and was caught by Stephen Fleming at first slip for 18 (179 for 4).

The last hope for a miracle lay with the in-form Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the out- of-form Brian Lara who were together at tea. Briefly they threatened to take the match into the fifth day before Vettori found the edge of Chanderpaul's bat and Fleming took the catch. That started an all-too-familiar collapse which saw six wickets fall for 68 runs in 20 overs.

If the West Indies lower order were going to go down with a whimper, Lara wasn't. As partners came and went he cut loose, and with his back against the wall he finally found his touch, unleashing a series of magnificent cuts and drives which grew more outrageous in their audacity. Eventually, inevitably, he perished, yorked by Bond for 73, but it had served as a reminder that he still has what it takes. How he must long for those days when he first came into Test cricket as part of an invincible West Indies side.

Bond completed the last rites, grabbing three wickets in 12 balls to finish with 5 for 78 but fittingly it was Fleming who won the Man of the Match award for his first-innings hundred which laid the platform for New Zealand's historic win.

The West Indies have no-one but themselves to blame for a result which has undone much of the benefit they got from the series win over India. They have four days to reorganise and strategise before the second Test which starts in Grenada on Friday (June 28). The only way is up … they hope.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd