Anendra Singh A S A jubilant Jesse Ryder leapt up and fisted the air at precisely 2.07pm yesterday, a small group of fans on the embankment cherished the Black Cap batsman's double century more than most.
They were Napier Technical Old Boys (NTOB) players Craig Findlay, brothers Ronnie and Ken Turner, ex-player Mike Pawson and ex-Tech coach and current Hawke's Bay men's coach Dale Smidt.
"The whole world today watched a kid who is just oozing with talent. We knew that and now they do too," stalwart Findlay (below) told SportToday after the former NTOB, Hawke's Bay and Central Districts player scored 201 runs against India at McLean Park, Napier.
It was, perhaps by Ryder's standards, a subdued innings considering he hit 24 boundaries and just one six.
But it was, after all, a test match and the former Napier Boys' High School pupil showed he had come of age, and not just a one-dimensional hit-and-giggle variety embracing the abbreviated versions of the game these days.
He occupied the crease for 490 minutes, facing 327 balls, before departing a ball later from a fuller Zaheer Khan delivery that caught the bottom edge of a lazy bat and uprooted his offstump.
A dejected Ryder slammed his bat down in frustration on the wicket and trudged back to the changing rooms below the Harris Stand.
He slapped the willow once more on his pad before throwing it into the hoardings to disappear into the changing rooms, failing to acknowledge the standing ovation from the crowd.
But it was his party and he could cry if he wanted to.
Findlay, who was in and out of the stadium because of coaching commitments, had spoken to Ryder after his ton on Thursday night over dinner.
"He was happy last night but not where he wanted to be [137 overnight]. I said I was looking forward to seeing him score his 200 and he said cool."
However, Findlay felt he gave him "bad advice" early yesterday morning.
"I said to him, we'll see you get your triple hundred, so he was intending to bat the whole day.
"He went out to the least best shot of his innings - but how many of us can really say what it feels like to get 200?"
Ken Turner said of the 23-year-old batsman, who moved to Hawke's Bay from Wairarapa Bush in his early teens: "It was outstanding and simply fantastic to watch. We always knew he was going to.
"He was pretty confident at the dinner about going on because the batting strip was the perfect condition to do it.
"We always knew he was something special," said Turner, whose Tech team are playing in the national club championship in Auckland but missed out in today's Bay premier club one-day final at Nelson Park.
Tech skipper Marc Calkin will miss the club final today because he replaces Caps bowler Kyle Mills as 12th man.
Yesterday, Bay representative century record holder James de Terte was 12th man while Tech's Liam Rukawai is the 13th man.
Findlay said: "We are hoping Jesse can come to our club awards night tomorrow, but I don't think he'll be allowed to break camp with the Black Caps."
The Indians must have felt like Bay fruitpickers after toiling on a benign bowling pitch for the past two days.
It almost seemed as if any New Zealand batsman who wanted to establish his position in the batting line-up needed to emphatically seal their spot with nothing short of a century.
After CD batsman Ross Taylor's scratchy but inspirational 151 on the first day on Thursday, wicketkeeper and No 7 batsman Brendon McCullum yesterday compiled 115 runs, including 13 boundaries from 140 balls.
James Franklin and skipper Daniel Vettori had earlier managed half tons before New Zealand declared at 619-9.
The pitch, which came under scrutiny from national media amid claims of fungal growth, proved to be pivotal in the run fest.
Head groundsman Phil Stoyanoff had bitterly rubbished fungal disease claims and instead clarified that he had created a new strip because of fears the old one was going to deteriorate.
It was a good toss to win but a brave decision from Vettori to pad up, considering the fragile state of the Caps' minds after the 10-wicket walloping in the first test match in Hamilton last week.
But his troops had vindicated his decision to bat doggedly to put them on the front foot as India would try to clear the mental hurdle of approaching their innings on a piece-meal basis - first to not lose too many wickets early and then to avoid a follow-on.
Before stumps, the Caps had the Indians in trouble at 79-3 in 23 overs.
It seems the selectors' decision to opt for the twin-spin pair of Vettori and Jeetan Patel - in for an erratic opening swing bowler Kyle Mills - are already paying dividends.
Two-ton Ryder's just walking on air
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