KINGSTON (Jamaica), June 5: Hard-hitting batsman Craig McMillan initiated a recovery after New Zealand had been reduced to a shaky 14 for three by West Indies in the opening One-day International at Sabina Park Wednesday.

McMillan hit three fours in 75 balls for an unbeaten 49 to lift his side to 93 for four after 30 overs.

In partnership with Lou Vincent, who was not out 19, he had shared in a fifth-wicket stand of 56 in 14 overs.

New Zealand had got off to a disastrous start after winning the toss as West Indies fast bowlers Mervyn Dillon and Cameron Cuffy tore through their top-order batsmen on a moist pitch.

Dillon generated both pace and movement off the seam to remove openers Nathan Astle, for one, and captain Stephen Fleming, for no score, in the third and fifth overs respectively.

Astle edged a lifting delivery to West Indies captain Carl Hooper at second slip while Fleming mistimed an attempted pull to Ryan Hinds at square leg.

Cuffy then dismissed Nevin in the eighth over, via a catch to Ramnaresh Sawan, before McMillan and all-rounder Chris Harris steadied the innings with a fourth-wicket stand of 23 in eight overs.

But Harris, determined to up the run-rate even further, was then removed by the off-spin of Chris Gayle, mistiming a sweep to Pedro Collins to backward square leg, to leave New Zealand at 37 for four in the 16th over.

West Indies omitted seamer Corey Collymore while New Zealand gave an international debut to 27-year-old all-rounder Paul Hitchcock.—Reuters