Tim McIntosh shows good timing

Tim McIntosh showed good timing in Queenstown today, with a century boosting his confidence ahead the first cricket test against Pakistan next week in Dunedin.

The pre-test warm-up match between a New Zealand Invitation 11 and the tourists ended a session early on the third and final day, with McIntosh making the most of the opportunity to score an unbeaten 131.

The match was called off at tea with the invitation team on 231 for two in their second innings after Daniel Flynn also confirmed his form with 56.

The innings was just the fillip 29-year-old left-hander McIntosh required, although it was tempered by the realisation Pakistan rested at least two frontline pacemen who will play next week at University Oval.

Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer were spectators at the match while the new ball attack of Mohammad Asif and Abdur Rauf were on rations today.

"They weren't giving too much away. They bowled a few part-timers but I got through the new ball so it was a good experience," McIntosh said after batting for almost five hours ahead of his naming in the test squad.

"The more time you spend out there the better off you are. The conditions will be similar in Dunedin so I got a hell of a lot out of it."

McIntosh and Flynn, in both innings, gained much from the match after both endured a tough time on their test debuts on the subcontinent, the 0-2 series loss to Sri Lanka in August.

McIntosh made 69 of his 81-run aggregate in the first innings at Galle before tapering off, while Flynn needed a neat 50 in the last innings of the series in Colombo to compensate for the 23 runs that eked from his first three bats.

Neither are involved in the limited overs formats so they had been generally confined to club cricket, and net practice until the Plunket Shield started last week.

McIntosh was almost in a rush today, batting with more enterprise than usual in recording his half-century from 100 balls, a strike rate at odds with his ultra-cautious nature.

But he went from 50 to 100 in just 67 balls, eventually striking 16 of his 196 deliveries to the ropes.

Flynn added a dogged 56 to his first innings 49, assuming the anchorman role that will be necessary in a three-test series New Zealand enter as underdogs.

Yet to score when the Invitation 11 resumed on 24 for one, a deficit of 38, Flynn was 47 not out at lunch and needed another 16 balls before ticking off the minor milestone.

His 188-minute, 147-ball vigil was finally ended by Alam's little-used left-arm spin when Flynn edged to reserve wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

Fawad Alam, who topscored with 77 as Pakistan made 286 yesterday, was one of nine bowlers rotated by Mohammad Yousuf as the skipper tried to distract McIntosh and Flynn during a 137-run stand for the second wicket.

Part-timers Umar Akmal and Khurran Manzoor bowled one over spells before lunch while Salman Butt and Imran Farhat had longer and equally unsuccessful cameos.

Legspinner Danish Kaneria was the busiest bowler today, conceding 52 runs from 22 overs.

- NZPA