28 June 2004	Monday	09 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

BIRMINGHAM, June 27: Rain forced the abandonment of the triangular series One-day International between New Zealand and the West Indies at Edgbaston here on Saturday.

New Zealand, in a match already reduced by rain to 21 overs per side, were well-placed at 97 for two from 13.4 overs chasing a revised target of 140, when the umpires finally called a halt.

The result saw both sides awarded three points each for a no-result and left New Zealand top of the table after their tournament opener against England at Old Trafford on Thursday was washed out without a ball being bowled.

Hamish Marshall was 24 not out and and Scott Styris, who'd earlier taken two for 12, 26 not out. The duo put shared an unbroken stand of 47 in 41 balls.

Earlier West Indies captain Brian Lara's rapid 36 helped steer his side to 122 for four. Left-hander Lara's 22 ball innings featured one six and six fours after his side had stumbled to 59 for three.

The first over of New Zealand's innings, bowled by Ravi Rampaul, cost 18 runs. It featured four wides and two no-balls plus a six and a four from New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming. But on 12 left-hander Fleming was brilliantly caught by a diving Ricardo Powell at backward point off Jermaine Lawson, New Zealand 20 for one.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES:

C.H. Gayle c McCullum b Oram 30

S. Chanderpaul lbw b Styris 14

D.R. Smith c McCullum b Styris 1

R.R. Sarwan not out 18

B.C. Lara hit wkt b Cairns 36

R.L. Powell not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-10, W-11, NB-1) 22

TOTAL (for four wkts, 21 overs) 122

FALL OF WKTS: 1-56, 2-59, 3-59, 4-115.

DID NOT BAT: D.J.J. Bravo, R.D. Jacobs, I.D.R. Bradshaw, R. Rampaul, J.J.C. Lawson.

BOWLING: Tuffey 5-1-10-0 (1w); Franklin 5-1-25-0 (3w); Cairns 4-0-18-1 (2w); Vettori 1-0-5-0; Oram 4-1-42-1 (1nb, 4w); Styris 2-0-12-2 (1w).

NEW ZEALAND:

S.P. Fleming c Powell b Lawson 12

N.J. Astle c Gayle b Lawson 13

H.J.H. Marshall not out 24

S.B. Styris not out 26

EXTRAS (LB-5, W-14, NB-3) 22

TOTAL (for two wkts, 13.4 overs) 97

FALL OF WKTS: 1-20, 2-50.

DID NOT BAT: C.D. McMillan, J.D.P. Oram, C.L. Cairns, B.B. McCullum, D.L. Vettori, J.E.C. Franklin, D.R. Tuffey.

BOWLING: Rampaul 1.4-0-20-0 (2nb, 5w); Bradshaw 4-0-19-0 (1w); Lawson 3-0-17-2 (1nb); Bravo 2-0-14-0 (2w); Smith 2-0-15-0 (1w); Gayle 1-0-7-0.

RESULT: No result.

UMPIRES: J.W. Lloyds (England) and R.E. Koertzen (South Africa).

TV UMPIRE: N.J. Llong (England).

MATCH REFEREE: G.R. Viswanath (India).

NOTE: New Zealand's revised target was set to 140 according to D/L method.-Agencies