Aaron Redmond made the most of his side's pre-Test warm-up clash with Northamptonshire by firing an opening day 121.
Kiwi opener strikes 121 ahead of Trent Bridge Test
Tour Match
Northampton
New Zealand 329-8 (A J Redmond 121, B B McCullum 72, P G Fulton 57, D H Wigley 4-74) v Northamptonshire
New Zealand opening batsman Aaron Redmond made the most of his side's pre-Test warm-up clash with Northamptonshire by firing an opening day 121.
The Black Caps finished day one on 329-8, with Brendon McCullum (72) and Peter Fulton (57) also making significant contributions with the bat.
It was Redmond's sixth first-class hundred and it came at an ideal time after the right-hander has struggled for form on his maiden tour - accumulating just 51 runs in his four innings in England.
Openers Redmond and Fulton needed their wits about them against the swinging ball as they laid the foundations for a first-wicket stand of 113, after being put in on a cloudy morning.
But it was in another century stand - 144 for the fourth wicket with his captain McCullum - that Redmond showed a fuller repertoire as he converted a 136-ball half-century into three figures in only 64 more.
Flynn's return
Fulton was the first wicket to fall after edging behind off the bowling of Johann Louw, and James Marshall (11) soon followed to Richard Logan with the score on 130.
Ross Taylor (10) also fell looking to climb into an off-side carve, edging David Lucas to wicket-keeper Niall O'Brien.
After McCullum and Redmond's century fourth-wicket stand, Daniel Flynn returned to the middle after his Old Trafford setback, albeit briefly as he perished leg-before to a full Dave Wigley delivery.
It was a short and uncomfortable first innings back for the middle-order man, after losing two teeth to a Jimmy Anderson bouncer in the Old Trafford Test a week ago.
Gareth Hopkins (10) and Kyle Mills (0) then fell to Wigley and Louw respectively as the Black Caps suffered a middle-order collapse by losing five wickets for 32 runs.
Medium-pace bowler Wigley was the Northants star with the ball as he finished the day with figures of 4-74. Tim Southee (12 not out) and Jeetan Patel (2 not out) return to the middle on Saturday morning.
