West Indies recovered from an early batting collapse to regain the initiative on the second day of the opening Test against New Zealand in Auckland on Friday.
The tourists were in all sorts of trouble when they slumped to 90 for five before lunch at Eden Park, still 185 runs behind New Zealand's first-innings total of 275.
But half-centuries from Ramnaresh Sarwan (62) and all-rounder Dwayne Bravo (59) helped them reach 257 and finish just 18 runs in arrears.
The West Indian fast bowling pair of Ian Bradshaw and Fidel Edwards then ripped through the New Zealand top-order in the final session before stumps, capturing two wickets each as the home team collapsed to 98 for 4.
Captain Stephen Fleming was unbeaten on 19 and nightwatchman James Franklin was on three with New Zealand clinging to a 116-run lead with just six wickets in hand.
"I think we're a little bit disappointed," Kiwi paceman Shane Bond told New Zealand Press Association.
"If we were 100 for one at stumps we would be well in control of the game, but at this stage I would say they're a little bit ahead because the deck's getting better."
"But we've got some capable batsmen to come and we have to make sure we put some runs on the board. The first session tomorrow will be crucial."
West Indies were forced to adopt a cautious approach after losing master batsman Brian Lara (five) and skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul (13) in the first hour of play.
Sarwan and Bravo managed to steady the ship with a sixth-wicket partnership of 89 with Sarwan's 62 taking 108 balls and Bravo's 54 made off 129 deliveries.
Bravo also shared a vital 58-run stand with Dwayne Smith (38) for the seventh wicket to help the visitors inch towards a first innings lead before the last three wickets tumbled for just nine runs.
Medium-pacer Chris Martin dismissed Bravo and Smith to finish with 3-80 from his 17 overs while Bond, Scott Styris and spinner Daniel Vettori captured two wickets each.
The New Zealand second innings got off to a shaky start when Bradshaw dismissed Hamish Marshall for one. Test debutants Jamie How (37) and Peter Fulton (28) kept the scoreboard ticking along before they fell in quick succession and were soon joined by first-innings centurion Styris (5).
New Zealand's position might have been worse had Fleming not been dropped by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin before he had got off the mark and there are concerns about batsman Nathan Astle.
Astle made 51 in the first innings but hasn't been involved in the action since after being struck on the head by a bouncer while he was batting.
He complained of feeling unwell overnight and was taken to hospital for scans and, although he was cleared of any serious damage, team officials aren't taking any risks.
Scoreboard:
New Zealand 1st innings: 275 (S. Styris 103no, N. Astle 51)
West Indies 1st innings (Overnight: 51-3)
C. Gayle c McCullum b Styris 25
D. Ganga c How b Martin 20
I. Bradshaw c How b Styris 0
R. Sarwan c Franklin b Bond 62
B. Lara c sub b Bond 5
S. Chanderpaul c McCullum b Franklin 13
D. Bravo c Bond b Martin 59
D. Smith c McCullum b Martin 38
D. Ramdin c & b Vettori 9
F. Edwards c McCullum b Vettori 1
J. Taylor not out 4
Extras (lb-7 nb-13 w-1) 21
Total (all out, 71.2 overs) 257
Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-48, 3-49, 4-60, 5-90, 6-179, 7-237, 8-248, 9-252, 10-257.
Bowling: S. Bond 19-4-57-2 (nb-3), J. Franklin 21-4-83-1 (nb-6 w-1), C. Martin 17-1-80-3 (nb-3), S. Styris 7-1-23-2, D. Vettori 7.2-3-7-2 (nb-1).
New Zealand 2nd innings
H. Marshall c Ganga b Bradshaw 1
J. How c Ramdin b Bradshaw 37
P. Fulton b Edwards 28
S. Fleming not out 19
S. Styris c Bradshaw b Edwards 5
J. Franklin not out 3
Extras (lb-1 nb-3 w-1) 5
Total (for 4 wickets, 34 overs) 98
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-66, 3-73, 4-88.
To bat: N. Astle, B. McCullum, D. Vettori, S. Bond, C. Martin
Bowling: F. Edwards 10-3-27-2 (nb-3), I. Bradshaw 13-2-34-2 (w-1), J. Taylor 1-0-6-0, C. Gayle 4-0-15-0, D. Smith 6-2-15-0.
