KEY POINTS:
A mix of relief, elation and satisfaction swirled around Tim McIntosh's mind as he completed his maiden test century yesterday - in the process putting New Zealand firmly in charge of the second international against the West Indies.
The tall Auckland lefthander had been brought into the side
partly because he has proved he can bat long periods, and he did that expertly at McLean Park in hitting 136 over 7 hours to guide New Zealand to 371 in their first innings.
Despite his teammates letting slip a superb opportunity to put the West Indies to sleep, they are still on top. The tourists start today on 62 for two, after bad light stopped play 14 overs early last night, and they trail New Zealand by two runs overall.
With proud parents Ross and Paula, brother Nick and his fiancee looking on, McIntosh, 29, did precisely what the national selectors wanted from him.
He anchored the innings, driving impressively, and if his pull shots can look awkward, they work for him - apart from one on 14 which flew straight up, only to drop between bowler Fidel Edwards and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin in a calamitous and costly cockup on Saturday.
McIntosh has been playing first-class cricket for 11 seasons and often been regarded as close to national selection without quite cracking it.
He is proof that good things come to those who work hard and are patient - indeed, much like his batting over the last two days.
"I've put in some long hard yards in the last few seasons and I'm starting to reap benefits," he said last night.
"Maybe I didn't show much emotion [on reaching 100] but I was certainly happy inside. It's a sense of relief in a way, and immense satisfaction. It hasn't quite sunk in."
There were no alarms yesterday and McIntosh visibly grew in confidence in the morning, which he began on 62.
He appeared nerveless as the century approached. Two lofted drives to the boundary got him well into the 80s; he went to 94 with a fine pull off Taylor; cover-drove the same bowler to the fence to get to 99 and four balls later punched his 15th boundary.
It had been seven matches since the last New Zealand test century - by Ross Taylor at Old Trafford in May - and 13 since the last by an opener, Matthew Bell against Bangladesh in Dunedin last January.
Perhaps the biggest compliment is that it came as a surprise when he got out, missing a straight one from Jerome Taylor, after facing 337 balls.
McIntosh and Jesse Ryder had the West Indies bowling - ordinary in the morning - on toast as they added 100 before Ryder, having completed his third test 50 and looking as untroubled as if in a club net practice and seemingly set for a first test century, wafted aimlessly outside off stump to be caught behind.
Brendon McCullum gave catching practice with a steered edge to Ramdin, and after Dan Vettori and Kyle Mills put a bit of substance into the innings for a 48-run stand, the end came quickly.
Edwards, easily the pick of the West Indies attack, knocked over the last three wickets in 12 deliveries, finishing with test-best figures of seven for 87.
He was bouncy, aggressive and persistent, and fully deserved his wickets. The West Indies cause would have been helped had he received more support.
Fast-medium colleague Daren Powell lost the plot in the afternoon.
Unsettled by McCullum's habit of walking out of his crease before the ball was bowled, he ran through the crease and chucked one delivery straight at second slip.
The West Indies were lackadaisical in the field, got through a disgraceful 23 overs in the middle session but aren't yet out of the match.
Chris Gayle climbed into the new ball attack in the final session, but the loss of key batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, lbw to Vettori on referral to the TV umpire just before the end, was crucial.
The day had three referrals, two upheld - Mills has now gone courtesy of the TV umpire in both his innings in the series. Take a wild stab at what he might think of the trial system right now.
