KEY POINTS:
Iain O'Brien was rewarded with a career best haul for toiling through the pain barrier but there was no respite for Jamie How's mental torment as New Zealand made the West Indies pay for an inexcusable fielding lapse at McLean Park here today.
New Zealand were 145 for
two when bad light curtailed play four overs ahead of the scheduled close - a 118-stand between Tim McIntosh and Daniel Flynn the backbone of the response to the tourists' 307.
McIntosh was unbeaten on 62 from 210 balls after grafting to his maiden test half century with his seventh boundary.
Flynn was just as dogged, recording his second successive fifty before falling seven runs later as the shadows lengthened.
McIntosh and Flynn produced their best impressions of Shivnarine Chanderpaul by defying the opposition attack with a dogged, no frills approach.
Neither had reached the heights of Chanderpaul, who was stranded on a resolute 126 when the West Indies first innings petered after the first drinks break this morning. But they both showed impressive powers of concentration to patiently bat time.
"These two have set a base that our middle and lower order should be able to launch from," a satisfied New Zealand coach Andy Moles said.
Flynn followed his 95 in the rain-ruined stalemate in Dunedin last week after replacing the troubled How.
The out of form How survived an early run out when on nought and a confident leg before wicket appeal on four but succumbed to a mistimed pull shot to Fidel Edwards' first delivery when on 12 and the score 19.
His dismissal left the 27-year-old in a trough - he averages 11.7 from his last nine test innings' with a top score of 28 against Australia in Adelaide.
McIntosh, meanwhile, is enjoying a charmed run at the top of the order in just his second test.
Dropped on 24 off the penultimate ball of the match in Dunedin, the cautious left hander had another massive reprieve today.
McIntosh sought to pull Edwards but the ball flew straight up, giving the bowler ample time to effect the caught and bowled - what would have been his 100th test wicket.
However, wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin also motioned forward before the pair stopped in unison centimetres from McIntosh at the popping crease as the ball landed between them.
New Zealand were on 36 and McIntosh 14 when the West Indies delivered an early Christmas gift and the opener eventually made the visitors pay, reaching 50 off 181 balls.
McIntosh and Flynn emulated Chanderpaul and Brendan Nash's stolid game plan yesterday, turgidly adding 62 between lunch and tea - a safety-first session that produced the sort of partnership New Zealand's top order has been sadly lacking.
Edwards eventually separated the duo after 50.5 overs of resistance - ironically he accepted a return catch from Flynn, Ramdin far from harm's way, to finally reach triple figures. He had the superior figures of two for 26 at the close.
Ross Taylor was the other not out batsman on four.
Earlier the West Indies had resumed at 258 for six with the visitors' hopes resting on Chanderpaul posting a big hundred with more valuable support from Jerome Taylor, a maiden century maker alongside the former captain at University Oval.
However, O'Brien downsized those plans when he had Taylor caught behind for 18 in his fourth consecutive maiden. Sulieman Benn departed in the same fashion for a duck two balls later while the right armer also dislodged Daren Powell for six, again pouched by Brendon McCullum.
O'Brien wrapped up the innings when deceiving Edwards with a slow yorker to snare four for 16 from eight overs and close with six for 78 - eclipsing his previous best of four for 74 against England at Trent Bridge in June.
The highlight of his 14-test car eer was achieved despite medical staff needing to use a heated paper clip to pierce the nail on his left big toe to relieve a blood bruise last night.
"It's as consistent as I've ever been, pace wise as well," he said.
"It was nice to be able to hit areas I wanted to. It's pretty pleasing."
Yet again Chanderpaul, currently the world' top rated test batsman, was immovable. His first test century against New Zealand and 20th of his career, spanning 282 balls over more than 5-1/2 hours.
He struck 11 boundaries and a trio of sixes during his chanceless knock.
- NZPA
