Last West Indies-New Zealand test washed out

WELLINGTON, Mar 29 (Reuters) Wet weather ensured the final test between New Zealand and the West Indies ended in a damp draw at Napier today, enabling the host to win the three-match series by a 2-0 margin.

Play was abandoned before a ball could be bowled on the fifth and final day after overnight rain had again flooded parts of the McLean Park field, ruining any chance of a positive result.

The third and fourth days were also completely washed out while less than 80 overs completed on the opening two days because of the storms.

The West Indies were left stranded on 256 for four, with Runako Morton unbeaten on 70 and Dwayne Bravo not out 22, while New Zealand did not even get to bat at all.

''It's a positive conclusion to make the decision to call the game off,'' New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming told New Zealand Press Association.

''You don't want to drift through the last day of a rain-affected match.

''If you get two or three hours where there's nothing on it then no-one wants to watch it, and no-one wants to play it, so we're pretty happy that commonsense prevailed.'' New Zealand won the first test in Auckland by 27 runs then the second in Wellington by 10 wickets, but Fleming said his team still had plenty of work to do before their next series in South Africa.

''I'm not sure if we're where we want to be,'' Fleming said.

''We've made improvements, but we're going to have to make a lot more in the upcoming weeks because South Africa are a very tough proposition as has been outlined by every player that's commented.

''They're possibly going to be coming off a three-nil beating by Australia, which probably makes our job a bit tougher because they'll get more desperate.

''Their public gets on their backs if they don't perform very well and that's certainly going to be case if they don't win this last test against Australia, so we have to be very aware of a backlash.'' LARA DISAPPOINTED Today's draw ended a frustrating run of eight straight test losses for the once-mighty West Indies as well as their master batsman Brian Lara who made 83 in his last innings in New Zealand after scores of 5, 0, 1 and 1 in the first two tests.

''Personally things didn't work out ... but I did enjoy my last visit to New Zealand,'' Lara said.

''I didn't get many centuries, but I did enjoy playing the New Zealanders.'' Lara, 36, said the West Indies had started the tour full of confidence but their morale had been shaken by the narrow loss in Auckland when they looked like winning.

''That was a big blow,'' Lara said.

''Our confidence was a bit dented and it was difficult to pick the guys up, because we have been in those situations before where we normally spiral downwards.

''We are capable of winning; we just need to grab the opportunities whenever they present themselves.'' REUTERS PM KP1356