Edwards' previous best Test figures were 5-36 against Sri Lanka in 2003

West Indies pace bowler Fidel Edwards took a career-best 7-87 but was unable to prevent New Zealand from forging a first-innings lead of 64 in Napier.

The Kiwis began day three of the second Test on 145-2, and opener Tim McIntosh added 100 with Jesse Ryder (57) on the way to his maiden Test century.

But after McIntosh was bowled for 136, the last six wickets fell for 55 runs as they were bowled out for 371.

Chris Gayle helped the Windies to 62-2 by the close, still two runs adrift.

Skipper Gayle (36 not out) added 58 with fellow opener Sewnarine Chattergoon - but Chattergoon and Ramnaresh Sarwan fell to the spin of Jeetan Patel and Daniel Vettori respectively just before bad light curtailed play.

The spin pair were particularly economical - conceding just 15 runs from 12 overs between them - as the Black Caps put the squeeze on the tourists.

606: DEBATE The sad fact is that neither of these sides looks good enough to win the series - it really is a duel in the bargain basement of Test cricket Cricketing_stargazer

McIntosh, in only his second Test, continued to play a patient innings - as he and Ryder, who made his third Test fifty, were content to wait to punish the bad balls during their century stand.

Ryder's dismissal brought Brendon McCullum to the crease - and the Kiwi keeper was soon involved in a flare-up with paceman Daren Powell.

Powell became annoyed at McCullum's habit of walking down the crease as he bowled, and on one occasion he stopped and threw the ball down the pitch in anger, before firing a series of bouncers at McCullum.

However, it appeared that McIntosh was more rattled by these events than McCullum - as he was bowled by Jerome Taylor next over.

McCullum and James Franklin - the latter for a duck - followed in quick succession, but Vettori and Kyle Mills added 48 together to help increase the Kiwis' lead, before Edwards wrapped up the tail.

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