"My motivation is to play well for the Stags so it puts the team back into the hunt and it's also for the fans back at home," he said last night after becoming the first player in the country's domestic limited-overs competition to bring up a double century in the 39th over from 126 balls.
Out eventually for 222 from 138 balls, his innings included 27 boundaries and eight sixes.
In doing so, he equalled South Africa batsman Graeme Pollock's (222no) for East Province against Border in East London in 1974 in a 60-over game as the second-highest score in a List A game.
"It's great to have achieved something special today," he said of only the 12th time a player has achieved the feat at domestic or international level in the world.
In 2002, Ali Brown made 268 from 160 balls for Surrey in a List A 50-over game against Glamorgan in England.
Yesterday's feat was How's third ton in 143 List A appearances, including 139 for the Black Caps against England in an ODI in Napier in 2008.
With coach Alan Hunt announcing on Tuesday he's stepping down, no doubt How would love nothing more than to give the Aucklander a resounding send off by helping the Stags retain the Ford Trophy.
Having survived when Anurag Verma bowled him from a no ball on 76 and again when a chance slipped through Jono Hickey's fingers when he approached 150, a laughing How said he rode a wave of luck, too.
Keeping with the collective thread, How lauded fellow opener Jeet Raval (115) for establishing a record first-wicket partnership of 321.
"Jeets has had a good season so today he played a superb role," he said, adding quite often when Raval got into stride, he ticked him over but when he knuckled in then the left-hander reciprocated with aplomb.
It hasn't been a flawless start for CD, with yesterday's game having shades of the nail-biting victory over the Wellington Firebirds in round two.
How agreed the CD top order hadn't been firing, especially when they found themselves at 4-40 in Nelson against ND.
He felt ND coach Grant Bradburn had a point in saying the HRV Cup Twenty/20 had put batsmen in a bolshie frame of mind.
"Yes, that's particularly so in the death bowling and powerplay stages," How said.
CD finished last in the T20 campaign but won the four-day Plunket Shield last month.
"It's our job as the top order to provide that foundation so it was nice to do that and, hopefully, we can keep doing that for the rest of the season."
Not seeing family and friends while on the road since the penultimate four-dayer at Rangiora , How said it wasn't easy for captain Kieran Noema-Barnett and his men.
How he did it
Jamie How scored 222 from 138 balls yesterday, the first double century and the highest innings in NZ domestic 50-over List A games.
How smashed 27 boundaries and eight sixes, bringing up his first 100 from 60 balls and taking 66 further to chalk his double century.
Individual records at Seddon Park, Hamilton, yesterday:
How: Highest Individual score (previous highest 170no Brendon McCullum 2007-08).
How: First double ton in List A games.
How: Highest individual score by a CD batsman (previous highest ,140 DP Kelly 1999-00).
How's partnership with fellow opener Jeet Raval, who scored 115 from 106 himself, will also go down in the record books:
Previous 1st-wicket record in NZ, 205no: JM Aiken/MW Douglas Wellington v Canterbury 1994-95.
New partnership record (321) for any wicket In List A matches in NZ: Previous record 273 (MHW Papps/SJ Murdoch 2012-13).
Highest CD team total of 417-6: Previous highest 376-3, 1996-97.
