Time to deliver - Ryder

It is time for New Zealand's top five to starting firing, says opening batsman Jesse Ryder.

It is a message that coach Andy Moles has also been pushing after New Zealand lost the second one-day match against the West Indies to go 1-0 down in the series after the first match in Queenstown was washed out.

Saturday's rain-affected match in Christchurch saw New Zealand reach 152 for eight after the game was reduced to 28 overs per side, a total Moles and the team in general felt was 30 runs too short.

While West Indies number three batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan (67 not out) guided his team to their readjusted total of 158 with Denesh Ramdin (28 not out), only Ryder (32), Jamie How (27) and, to a lesser extent, Ross Taylor (13) got starts for the home side.

That, according to Ryder, is something that must change in the third match at Wellington's Westpac Stadium if New Zealand are to stand a chance of drawing level in the series.

"The top five has got to fire. If one in the top five gets in and scores some runs and the rest bat around them it would be good," the 24-year-old said.

"A few of us got starts (in Christchurch) but we just didn't kick on."

Ryder and Brendon McCullum have formed a useful opening partnership since the big left-hander made his debut against England in Wellington almost a year ago.

Jesse Ryder has established a powerful partnership with keeper Brendon McCullum

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"We both sort of go at the same tempo. Once he gets going it always makes it easier for me to get going," Ryder explained.

He did however admit he was happy to sit back and give McCullum the strike when the wicket-keeper was firing on all cylinders, something he did no do in Christchurch when he was dismissed for one.

Ryder's impressive strike rates in the shorter forms of the game have led to his name has been touted in Indian Premier League circles.

But the Wellingtonian is refusing to get carried away by thoughts of a big pay day when the auction takes place on February 6.

"I'm not even thinking about it at the moment. If it happens it happens.

"It would be a great opportunity if I got a chance to play over there. It would surely help my game playing with and against some of the greats.

"The main focus now is on how to keep the West Indies bowlers at bay.

"I guess it would be a lot harder if they were swinging it. There hasn't been too much swing but they are a decent bowling attack with Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor," he acknowledged.

"They are a bit different with Fidel Edwards who slings it a little bit. He's quite hard to pick up at times. Jerome Taylor is pretty much the normal bowler.

"It'll be interesting to see if they bowl left-armer (Brendan) Nash at all, we'll have to wait and see."

Ryder is also keen to get his maiden ton: "It would just be good to get that first hundred under the belt. I've thrown it away a few times.

"But I'm very happy with the way things are going at the moment. It would just be good to kick on from the starts I'm getting."