Another brilliant innings from New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum dominated the first day of the final under-19 Test against South Africa at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, one of the world's most beautiful cricket grounds. Coming in after his team had lost four cheap wickets McCullum scored exactly 100, providing the most exciting cricket of the day.

New Zealand manager Dayle Hadlee told CricInfo that his team were keen to post 400, so a first day score of 266 for seven is something of a disappointment. McCullum did not hesitate in choosing to bat after he won the toss. The pitch had green tinges at the start, and offers the quicker bowlers cosiderable bounce, but the ball is coming on to the bat well and there is very little lateral movement.

The top five batsmen in the New Zealand top order all got out after they had played themselves in. Of this group, the top score was Shanan Stewart's 34. He hit six fours, but got out swiping a full toss to deep square leg off slow left-armer Ian Postman.

The captain demonstrated the art of judicious shot selection to his teammates. His boundaries tended to come in batches, because this was how the loose deliveries arrived. Early in his innings, for example, he hit four fours off the sharply-paced Thysen, peppering the fence from long leg to cover.

An improvement in control by the bowlers was dealt with patiently, as McCullum was prepared to wait for the next opportunity to attack. Though he demonstrated that he could play on either side of the wicket, his preference is for the on side. Several times, the ball went to the long on boundary from outside off stump.

McCullum made only one mistake before getting out, a dropped chance to deep cover when he was in the thirties. The bowler, Johan Botha, reacted with a howl of anguish that echoed around the ground. He then directed a piercing stare at the fielder responsible.

McCullum's reaction when was out, caught behind just after reaching his century, was a measure of the man in itself. Most players would have been delighted to have achieved their third hundred in as many international games. McCullum was furious with himself for what he saw as a lack of mental application. His innings contained 14 fours and a six, occupying a leisurely (for him) 121 deliveries.

Luke Woodcock supported his skipper magnificently, playing the junior role in a partnership of 117 for the sixth wicket. His own marathon of 38 in 160 balls came to an end in an unusual way. He over-balanced playing a full-length ball from Botha. A loud appeal for lbw was turned down. However, Woodcock was sufficiently distracted to attempt an ill-advised single. A direct hit by Price, running in from mid-wicket beat him home.

South Africa suffered a blow in the act of the first ball of the day being bowled. The bowler, Monde Zondeki, slipped in delivery stride and had to leave the field two balls later. He returned later, but his absence disrupted South African plans for using their bowling resources.

Christo Karemaker showed that he could bowl with pace late in the day as well as first thing in the morning. He finished with two for 57. The most economical figures were those of Botha with one for 46 from 25.4 overs.

The South African fielding was below the standard expected of them, with a number of boundaries down to casual or slow reactions. The exception to this was wicket-keeper Zwelibanzi Homani, who turned in a high-class display of glovework, particularly when standing up to the brisk medium pace of Botha.

Dayle Hadlee summed up the day in this way.

"We lost the first session, then with McCullum leading we fought back in the second session. The runs dried up after tea as they set defensive field placements and bowled consistently on one side of the wicket."

Application from the lower order will be needed if New Zealand are to approach Hadlee's target of 400 tomorrow.

© CricInfo