This was a marked improvement on the 24 no-balls delivered in their three previous games.

With the set-up of one-day cricket favouring batsmen thanks to over limits on bowlers, fielding restrictions and frequently shortened boundaries, former New Zealand off-spinner Bracewell knows his attack can't afford to donate runs.

Dayle Hadlee, the brother of New Zealand great Sir Richard and a former Test cricketer himself, has been working with the Black Caps attack primarily to cut down on their illegal deliveries.

"I was really pleased with the way we held our discipline -- it was a team effort that went through to our bowlers in particular, try to string those dot balls together and put them under some sort of pressure," Bracewell told reporters here Friday as he reflected on the victory over the World Cup hosts.

The new-ball duo of Michael Mason and Shane Bond put West Indies openers Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul under pressure right from the start.

Brian Lara's side never broke free and were bowled out for 177 before an unbeaten 80 from medium-pace all-rounder Scott Styris saw New Zealand home.

"Led by Mike and Shane it set a good standard for us. Parts of the team capitalised on the fact we started so well," Bracewell explained.

"Our bowling performance had more discipline than most of them. It's something the guys addressed well in those six days we had leading into the game."

Only James Franklin, whose three overs cost 29 runs, was expensive. The left-arm seamer quick can be vulnerable if the ball is not swinging but Bracewell insisted Franklin, fortunate not to be hit on the head by a fierce Gayle straight drive, would bounce back.

"He was attacked, Chris Gayle decided the way to get a target on that wicket was to bully it," said the coach.

"I don't think James bowled particularly badly. That was their strategy.

"That's the beauty of this team -- we can bounce out of those situations, shift to a B plan quite seamlessly with Scotty Styris (who dismissed star batsman Lara) and things like that and adapt to the wicket.

"James will get the conditions that suit him at some point and he'll come through and someone else might get tonked.

"A lot of his spells that have been valuable to us have been in the middle. He's working really hard on his change up, his around the wicket stuff and his death (bowling) is getting better.

"I haven't got a concern about any of our bowlers, they're all competitive and strategically we'll select on that basis."

New Zealand's next match is against Bangladesh in here on Monday.