An early introduction for the spin of Sulieman Benn. He starts badly, too short and Guptill pounces on it, rolling the wrists on it and flaying it past point for four. The batsmen exchange singles from the remaining deliveries to keep the run rate hovering healthily just above a run a ball.

Jason Holder has bowled a really nice length so far, just a little shorter than Taylor, making it much harder for the batsmen to drive him down the ground. He builds a little bit of pressure on Martin Guptill with four dot balls, but the batsman gets away off the fifth delivery, hitting a drive into the ground that bounces over the covers and brings three.

Image source, Getty Images

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"West Indies are trying to bowl quite full, allowing the ball to move. There will be two people in this ground who will be very happy to see the ball moving in the air: Trent Boult and Tim Southee. They know they can wreak havoc if it's swinging."

The 'V' is proving a very productive scoring zone for New Zealand so far. Once again Jerome Taylor sees the ball whistle back past his toes as this time Kane Williamson meets a full delivery with the face of the bat.

Williamson has been a slow starter in this tournament but he looks fluent here and he follows that with another four, easing a drive past mid-on. And he finishes the over with a third boundary, poking at a ball outside off and flashing it through the vacant slip cordon.

Image source, AFP

Unbelievably, 31 is New Zealand's lowest five-over score in this World Cup so far.

The cultured Williamson is the handbrake to McCullum's accelerator - he will look to drop anchor and bat through here. Early jitters from the number three as he wanders out of his crease and scrambles back to sanctuary as the throw from Lendl Simmons whistles past the stumps. He gets off the mark with a single to third man.

Matt Clough: If McCullum was English we would drop him for that shot.

Aashish: Over the shoulder at full stretch at a gallop wow what a catch Captain Holder - Kiwi bubble burst??

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport in Wellington

"I don't think I've ever seen a wicket cause more collective disappointment inside a cricket ground. As Holder sprinted, the crowd held its breath, willing him to not make it. When the Windies skipper hung on, the Cake Tin let out a groan as their captain departed."

Kane Williamson is the new man. Guptill, who certainly won't be forced back into his shell by the early loss of his partner, picks up another boundary with a punch through the covers.

Image source, Getty Images

Jeremy Coney
Ex-New Zealand captain on BBC Test Match Special

"A very good catch. I thought he wasn't going to get there but the long arms did it for him. McCullum took up the challenge but the bat just turned in his arms slightly and off he goes."

Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.

Image source, Reuters

Silly, silly, silly. McCullum's inability to take a backward step has cost him here. He tries to blast Jerome Taylor into the stands but doesn't time it at all, the ball slices up in the air towards deep cover, where Jason Holder extends his long tentacles to reel in an absolute blinder of a catch. One captain removes the other.

Scorecard

Image source, Getty Images

Brendon McCullum has been muffled so far - he's only seen one ball of the first three overs.

Now he gets his chance to eye up Jason Holder and immediately signals his intent. He advances down the track and a mistimed swipe is stopped at mid-on, but he doesn't miss out on the next two. First he whips a leg-side delivery off his pads for four, then he picks up a short ball and swats it into the stands!

Better yet, it's caught one-handed by a gentleman in the crowd, who wins a share of the million-dollar jackpot.

Image source, Getty Images

Martin Guptill is in no mood to hang around. Jerome Taylor is pitching the ball full to try and extract a bit of early swing, but he's putting it right into the Kiwi opener's wheelhouse at the moment. Two successive deliveries disappear straight back past the bowler, punched imperiously down the ground for four. The bowler drags back his length thereafter, but New Zealand are off to a good start here.

Nicholas Smith: Come on West Indies. Massive underdogs I know, but with one @henrygayle in the team who knows what can happen!

The ball is swinging early on for the Windies seamers. Captain Jason Holder takes the new nut at the other end. Sharp running is a feature of the New Zealand batting effort, and after ten balls, Guptill finally rotates the strike with a quick scampered single to allow Brendon McCullum to get in on the act.

McCullum repeats the trick off his first delivery, dropping the ball at his feet and setting off like a hare to beat the throw at the non-striker's end.

Image source, Reuters

Jeremy Coney
Ex-New Zealand captain on BBC Test Match Special

"By choosing to bat, I think McCullum is saying that in these types of games runs on the board matter more. Now they have to go on and post a decent total. They have been fallible in the past. Their batting hasn't been thoroughly reliable. There is always a bit of jitteriness. They have to play well from now on."

Well well, what a let off for New Zealand early on. Guptill connected sweetly but couldn't keep the stroke down and it should have been pouched. Prior to that, Guptill got off the mark first ball, slightly overpitched from Taylor and Guptill gave it the full face of the bat, caressing it down the ground for a handsome four.

Drama! Third ball, Martin Guptill flicks it uppishly off his pads but Marlon Samuels shells it low down at square leg. What a miss!

Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill stride out to the middle. Will they be feeling any nerves in front of an expectant home crowd?

West Indies bowling coach Curtly Ambrose is delivering a characteristically, ahem, demonstrative team talk to his troops as they take the field.

Jerome Taylor will take the new ball. We're ready to go!

Time for the anthems. New Zealand giving it the full arms-around-the-shoulders treatment as they belt out 'God Defend New Zealand'. West Indies looking rather more mellow - shades on to a man.

Image source, Getty Images

We want to hear from you today as this match progresses. Can either of these teams win the tournament? Will Chris Gayle fire today?

Let us know as ever on Twitter at #bbccricket, external, text on 81111 (UK only) or email at tms@bbc.co.uk.