Opening batsman Peter Fulton scored a maiden testcentury at the age of 34 — seven years after his debut — to guide New Zealandto 250-1 at stumps Friday on the first day of the third cricket test againstEngland.
Fulton carried his bat throughout the day after England wonthe toss and bowled, reaching 124 not out by stumps in a 171-run, second-wicketpartnership with Kane Williamson (83 not out).
Fulton was 41 not out at lunch, after a 79-run opening standwith Hamish Rutherford (37) and he continued through the last two sessions toaccumulate runs at a steady pace, putting on 94 runs in the second session withWilliamson and 77 in the third.
Steve Finn was the only Englishman with a wicket, withfigures of 1-61 at stumps.
After taking 6-51 in New Zealand's first innings in thesecond test, Stuart Broad was promoted to share the new ball with JamesAnderson and Finn was demoted to first change. But Broad never settled to aproductive line and Anderson, struggling after the Wellington test with heeland back problems, was limiting but really threatening.
Monty Panesar bowled 25 overs, entering the attack in onlythe 21st over when the England seamers had been blunted. At stumps he had stilltaken only two wickets in the series at a cost of 122 runs apiece.
Fulton made his test debut in 2006 and played 10 tests, witha highest score of 75 and an average of 20, before losing his place in NewZealand's revolving door for test openers. He won a recall for this series,four years after his last test, and cemented his place Friday with an inningsof technique and character.
Fulton became only the second New Zealander, after ZinHarris in South Africa in 1962, to score a maiden century after turning 34.
He had made sound contributions throughout the series —scoring 55 in New Zealand's only innings in the drawn first test at Dunedin and45 and 46 in the second test at Wellington, which also ended in a rain-affecteddraw.
Fulton reached his half century in 145 minutes from 109balls and his century in 256 minutes, from 203 balls — the second 50 moreswiftly than the first.
He went to 99 with a pull for four off Finn, the 14th fourof an innings which, at that stage, also contained three sixes.
"I've played a few test matches now and haven't beenable to get a century," Fulton said. "I guess if I'm being brutallyhonest at the start of this season I thought maybe my time had come and gone.
"So to get that test 100 and cross that off the list isa great feeling."
Williamson provided outstanding support to Fulton throughthe longest part of the day. After the opening partnership with Rutherford,which blunted the threat of the new ball, Fulton and Williamson drove homeEngland's folly at bowling after winning the toss.
In all three tests in the series the team winning the tosshas bowled first: New Zealand in Dunedin and Wellington and England at EdenPark. The tactic has worked only once — in Dunedin where, after a day's delaybecause of rain, New Zealand bowled out England for 167 in its first innings.
Fulton and Rutherford had almost safely negotiated the firstsession when Rutherford, with a rush of blood to the head, was out just an overfrom lunch. Finn tempted him outside off stump, as he had done Fulton, andafter a period of patience and caution, Rutherford fell for the bait: heflashed at a wide delivery and sent a rising catch to Cook at second slip.
"I think the thing about the England attackis that they just keep coming. Even when you get to 50 or 60 you're starting tofeel pretty good and you think you're okay. But they just keep coming and theydidn't make it easy. But, I guess, that's what made it even more special."