The one-day international between New Zealand and West Indies was abandoned at Edgbaston on Saturday because of persistent rain as the Kiwis closed in on victory.

Hamish Marshall (24 not out) and Scott Styris (26 not out) batted through the drizzle to guide New Zealand to 97 for two from 13.4 overs chasing a Duckworth-Lewis adjusted target of 140 in their allotted 21 overs.

But the rain began to fall more heavily and the players were forced from the field for a final time.

The game was reduced to 21 overs per side after another rain interruption halted the West Indies innings. The number of overs had already been cut to 35 when the match started over three hours late.

Captain Brian Lara earlier helped West Indies to 122 for four in their 21 overs with some imaginative shots.

He was dismissed for a 22-ball 36, having hit his own stumps while attempting a flamboyant backward-facing shot.

The opening match of the triangular series between England and New Zealand at Old Trafford on Thursday was abandoned without a ball being bowled again because of rain.

West Indies play England at Trent Bridge on Sunday in the third scheduled match of the 10-game tournament.

Scoreboard:

West Indies:
C.Gayle c McCullum b Oram 30
S.Chanderpaul lbw b Styris 14
Dwayne Smith c McCullum b Styris 1
R.Sarwan not out 18
B.Lara hit wicket b Cairns 36
R.Powell not out 1

Extras (lb-10 w-11 nb-1) 22

Total (for four wickets, 21 overs) 122

Fall of wickets: 1-56, 2-59, 3-59, 4-115.

Did not bat: D.Bravo, R.Jacobs, I.Bradshaw, R.Rampaul, J.Lawson.

Bowling: Tuffey 5-1-10-0 (w-1), Franklin 5-1-25-0 (w-3), Cairns 4-0-18-1 (w-2), Vettori 1-0-5-0, Oram 4-1-42-1 (w-4 nb-1), Styris 2-0-12-2 (1-w)

New Zealand: (target 140 - Duckworth-Lewis revised)
S.Fleming c Powell b Lawson 12
N.Astle c Gayle b Lawson 13
H.Marshall not out 24
S.Styris not out 26

Extras (lb-5 w-14 nb-3) 22

Total (for two wickets, 13.4 overs) 97

Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-50.

Did not bat: C.McMillan, J.Oram, C.Cairns, D.Vettori, B. McCullum, D.Tuffey, J.Franklin

Bowling: Rampaul 1.4-0-20-0, Bradshaw 4-0-19-0, Lawson 3-0-17-2, Bravo 2-0-14-0, Smith 2-0-15-0, Gayle 1-0-7-0

Previous results: England v New Zealand - no result