Jesse Ryder is back in the New Zealand ODI team for their five-game series against the West Indies starting at Eden Park on Boxing Day.

After this summer's Ashes heroics, it's hard to imagine an Australian side without Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson.

The Waca is the last cricket ground in Australia. That is a patent untruth, of course, since there remain ovals studded around the unlikeliest outback places. But it is the only big-time cricket field still going.

At 6.15 last night, the NZ players and management walked out to the middle of the Basin Reserve.

Trent Boult had a 10 wicket haul as New Zealand ended their test win drought in convincing fashion, beating the West Indies by an innings and 73 runs.

You wonder what sort of card players the West Indies would be; yesterday they badly missed a trick and it haunted them throughout the day at the Basin Reserve.

Ross Taylor brought up another century as the Black Caps ended the first day on 307-6 against the West Indies.

New Zealand will be wary of a resurgent West Indies side going into the second test at the Basin Reserve today.

'I've never seen it looking that green.' After 14 summers, Peter Fulton's opinion on the Basin Reserve pitch ahead of tomorrow's second test is pretty important.