Styris marshalled the tail well in difficult conditions

Scott Styris hit an unbeaten 103 and took two West Indies wickets in three balls as New Zealand recovered well on day one of the first Test.

The hosts were 69-4, having been put in to bat in Auckland, when Styris joined Nathan Astle (51) in a stand of 71.

The hosts went on to post 275, with debutant Ian Bradshaw and medium-pacer Dwayne Smith taking three wickets each.

The tourists were 47-0 in reply before losing three wickets for two more runs in two overs, going to stumps 51-3.

New Zealand's last 22 matches have been one-dayers and their batsmen, apart from Styris who batted three hours and 12 minutes, struggled to shrug off one-day habits.

He said: "It perhaps wasn't normal Test cricket but the fact we haven't played Test cricket for seven months may have had something to do with it.

"It's something that we're conscious of after the first day but I guess we'll look to rectify that in the second innings."

Even Astle made his runs from 53 balls, with 10 fours at a rollicking pace.

Only Styris played an innings of Test match patience, developing style and confidence after a difficult start.

Bradshaw, given a debut at 31, had taken two wickets in a strenuous opening session, whipping through New Zealand's inexperienced top order.

He had more success than fellow debutants Jamie How (11) and Peter Fulton (17).

Bradshaw returned to claim a late wicket, to finish with 3-73 from 23.1 overs, but failed as a nightwatchman, making a duck.

Smith took centre-stage in the afternoon, swinging the ball both ways, to finish with 3-71 while Chris Gayle wrapped up the tail after tea with two quick wickets.

Gayle looked like having negotiated a difficult last hour in which the ball swung wildly.

And they had all the first-day honours until Chris Martin dismissed Daren Ganga and Styris struck twice, removing Gayle and Bradshaw.