Fleming - 'we've gained from the experience'

Stephen Fleming admitted that New Zealand's victory over West Indies in the first Test in Barbados was one of the most satisfying of his career. New Zealand comprehensively outplayed West Indies to win by 204 runs inside four days - their first Test success in the Caribbean after eight defeats and three draws.

"I rate it highly because of where we are," Fleming said. "There have been a lot of New Zealand teams that have been battered and bruised at this ground and in the West Indies before. That provides motivation. The guys have gained a lot of confidence from this performance, so as captain I take a lot of satisfaction from it."

Fleming also had a personally satisfying match, winning the Man of the Match award for his first-innings hundred which rescued New Zealand from 117 for 5 on the first afternoon. "My innings will rate right up there if we win the series. It's the same feeling when we won the test at Lord's in 1999 - we were intent on finishing the series and we got there."

He said that he was delighted with the positive approach of his players. "We went at the West Indies with an intensity, I don't know if they were expecting it but mentally they weren't with us and they paid the price."

But Fleming warned that he expected West Indies to come back strongly in the second Test in Grenada which starts on Friday. "We are very young in key areas, but have talent, and sometimes when talent gets the taste of success that can be a very dangerous thing."