AUCKLAND, New Zealand

(CMC):Rain continued to wreak havoc on the five-match one-day international (ODI) series between new Zealand and West Indies, forcing the abandonment of the fourth match Saturday and spoiling what promised to be an enthralling encounter.

Set a challenging 276 for victory, West Indies had set off in gallant pursuit of their target before the first rain break stalled them at 47 without loss after 8.4 overs.

When play resumed just over an hour later, the tourists were set a revised target of 235 from 40 overs and they smashed 17 runs from 11 balls before another heavy shower drove players from the field for the final time, with the score on 64 for no further loss.

Robust batting

West Indies captain Chris Gayle.

Skipper Chris Gayle was unbeaten on a typically robust 46 from 37 balls and his entertaining stroke play had set the stage nicely for a riveting run chase at Eden Park.

The aggressive left-hander smashed four fours and three sixes, the last of which sailed straight back overhead off medium pacer Tim Southee and proved to be the last ball of the innings.

Sewnarine Chattergoon, one of three changes to the West Indies team from the last ODI in Wellington on Wednesday, was unbeaten on 17 from 26 balls with two fours.

The match was the second in the series to be ruined by rain after the opener in Queenstown 11 days ago was limited to just two hours and 36 overs.

Reduced overs

Rain also forced the second match in Christchurch to be reduced to 28 overs per side after causing the loss of four hours play.

With the series tied 1-1, the deciding match will be played in Napier next Tuesday.

Gayle started cautiously with West Indies reaching 22 after seven overs, before he exploded to smash sixes of the first and last balls off seamer Kyle Mills' fourth over that cost 14 runs.

Chattergoon joined the party with a boundary through the on side off pacer Mark Gillespie and West Indies seemed poised to move into top gear when the rains came.

Earlier, opener Martin Guptill made the most of three chances to score an unbeaten century on debut as the Black Caps built an impressive total after being sent in to bat.

Propelled Black Caps

The 22-year-old right-hander, dropped three times before he had reached 50, made the most of his charmed life to slam 122 and propel the Black Caps to 275 for four off their 50 allotted overs.

He cracked eight fours and two sixes off 135 balls and shared an enterprising 144-run, third-wicket partnership with Ross Taylor, whose 75 required 87 balls and included six fours and one six.

Amid the onslaught, rookie pacer Lionel Baker proved to be the tourists' best bowler, grabbing two for 29 off 10 well-controlled overs.

He broke a dangerous opening stand of 68 when he removed the threatening Brendon McCullum for 26 to a catch at the wicket with a lovely outswinger in his fourth over.

Six runs later in his next over, he also induced an outside edge from Matthew Sinclair (2) for wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin to pouch an easy catch.

It was Ramdin, however, who offered Guptill his first reprieve when he put down an edge off pacer Daren Powell, with the batsman on 15 at 30 without loss in the sixth over.

Five overs later, the usually safe Brendan Nash floored Guptill at 21 with the score on 45 and the all-rounder again dropped him off a caught and bowled chance in the 18th over with the batsman on 33, at 76 for two.

Guptill also escaped when a drive nearly carried to Shawn Findlay at cover on 20, at 44 without loss in the 10th over sent down by Powell.

Inflicted misery

With fortune clearly on his side, Guptill blossomed nicely and along with Taylor made West Indies pay dearly for their generosity.

At the death, Guptill shared a cameo, unbroken fifth wicket stand of 56 from 34 balls with another debutant, Neil Broom, who scored 24 off 17 balls, as the Black Caps inflicted further misery on the Windies.

In fact, Guptill proved the catalyst in the last 10 overs as the hosts lashed 93 runs in a frenetic end to the innings.