An ill-disciplined batting effort and indifferent bowling left New Zealand with no chance as the West Indies cruised to a nine-wicket win in the first one-day cricket international in Jamaica on Friday.

Sent in to bat, New Zealand’s inexperienced line-up struggled to bat out their overs at Kingston’s Sabina Park, eventually crawling to 9-190.

In reply, the West Indies were untroubled in racking up 1-136 in 24.2 overs, despite losing opener Lendl Simmons without score at the end of the third over.

Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith piled on the runs and a two-hour break after 18 overs as the heavens opened only delayed the inevitable.

Needing 43 runs in 15 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis system when play resumed, Gayle and Smith eased the West Indies home with more than eight overs to spare.

Gayle smashed five sixes in his 63 off 57 balls, while Smith was only slightly more circumspect with 65 from 77.

For New Zealand, only wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling provided resistance, with his 60 and Jacob Oram’s 32 off 39 balls the only innings of note in a lacklustre New Zealand effort.

Andre Russell proved problematic for the Black Caps, the fast bowler finding good movement and pace to end with 4-45, including the opening three wickets of Rob Nicol, Martin Guptill and Daniel Flynn.

New Zealand also struggled with the variation of offspinner Sunil Narine, who picked up 2-26 off his 10 overs.

The Black Caps’ bad run of luck with injuries continued – all rounder Andrew Ellis strained a quad muscle running between the wickets, and was replaced by Nathan McCullum in the field.

New Zealand is already without captain Ross Taylor for most of the five-match ODI series after he injured his shoulder in a warm-up Twenty20 match last week.

The second ODI is scheduled for early Sunday (NZT) at Sabina Park.