New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was closing in on his 22nd Test hundred, as the home side emerged on top at stumps of the opening day of the first Test against West Indies.

Williamson was unbeaten on 97 at the close with the hosts on 243-2 on a grassy pitch at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Opener Tom Latham was dismissed for 86 but Ross Taylor is 31 not out.

West Indies captain Jason Holder won the toss and chose to bowl first on a well-grassed pitch after morning rain washed out the entire first session.

When play finally got going after lunch, West Indies struck in the fourth over when Shannon Gabriel trapped Will Young lbw for four. Young had escaped being caught behind the ball before when wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich inexplicably pulled out of a catch after Gabriel’s rising delivery took the edge of the opener’s bat.

Notwithstanding the early success, the West Indies bowlers were not nearly as effective as they could have been. They struggled with line and in some instances, length which allowed Williamson and Latham to proceed relatively untroubled.

A vast number of deliveries were simply allowed to go by to the wicketkeeper.

Aided in part by the wayward bowling, Williamson and Latham posted a second-wicket stand of 154 before the latter was bowled by Kemar Roach.

Any hopes of further breakthroughs were quickly dashed however as Taylor and his captain put on an unbroken stand of 75 by the end of the day’s play.