Rain stops play on final morning of first test

LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) - Rain stopped play after only 34 minutes on the final day of the first test between England and West Indies at Lord's today.

West Indies, set 401 to win the first game in the four-test series, took their overnight score of seven without loss to 42 for no wicket before light drizzle forced the players from the field.

The rain was still falling at the scheduled lunch interval of one p.m. (1730 hrs) with no letup in sight.

Chris Gayle, who did not get off the mark in the two overs play in West Indies' second innings on Sunday after receiving a painful blow in the groin from Steve Harmison, was on 24 while Daren Ganga had scored nine.

Gayle hit Harmison off the back foot for a boundary through the covers. He glided Liam Plunkett for a four and took two further boundaries off the pace bowler.

After Harmison had bowled four overs for 15 runs from the Nursery End, acting captain Andrew Strauss called up left-arm spinner Monty Panesar into the attack.

Panesar, who returned his best test figures of six for 129 in West Indies' first innings 437, paced out his run but the rain was falling and umpires Rudi Koertzen and Asad Rauf decided to take the teams off the field.

REUTERS BJR VC1815