NAPIER, New Zealand (CMC):

OPENER TIM McIntosh and Daniel Flynn carved out patient half centuries as New Zealand slowly inched their way into a strong position on the second day of the decisive second Test against West Indies.

Unhurried and calculated in their approach, the hosts reached 145 for two in response to the Windies' 307 when bad light ended play early at McLean Park, with McIntosh unbeaten on 62 and Flynn dismissed for 57.

The 29-year old McIntosh, in only his second Test after making his debut in the Dunedin opener last week, had faced 210 balls and struck eight fours.

He combined in a stand of 118 for the second wicket with Flynn whose 57 required 192 minutes, 161 balls and contained four fours and two sixes.

Bowlers frustrated

The left-handed Flynn, who also notched up a half century in the first Test, became fast bowler Fidel Edwards' 100th Test scalp when he offered a tame caught and bowled chance attempting to play through the onside. Edwards was the most successful of the Windies bowlers, finishing with 2-26.

The tourists' bowlers were steady throughout but were frustrated as New Zealand's batsmen used an ultra-cautious approach to gain control of the match after their bowlers quickly cleaned up the Windies tail in the first session.

Fast bowler Iain O'Brien finished with 6-75 as the West Indies, resuming at 258 for six, lost their last four wickets for 49 runs. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, unbeaten on 100 overnight, was left stranded on 126.

Openers McIntosh and Jamie How, the latter badly out of sorts, spent nine overs in getting the Black Caps to 12 without loss at lunch, as the new-ball pair of Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell kept them honest.

Productive period

How, unbeaten on nine at the interval, added just three on resumption before pulling the first ball of Edwards' first over to square leg where Sewnarine Chattergoon snared a low catch, to leave the hosts at 19 for one.

Flynn joined McIntosh and they combined to deny the Windies any further success in the session. Neither batsman seemed intent on forcing the pace of the game but the Windies bowlers stuck to their task manfully, keeping runs to a minimum.

In the 32 overs sent down during the session, the Black Caps managed just 62 runs, as Flynn and McIntosh gathered runs in trickles.

Their most productive period came late in the session when West Indies captain Chris Gayle turned to part-time medium pacer Brendan Nash in an attempt to break the partnership.

After starting with a maiden, Flynn carted the first two deliveries of Nash's second over for successive sixes over midwicket, to break a stranglehold where New Zealand had managed just one run from the previous seven overs.

Missed opportunity

The West Indies had only themselves to blame, however, as they had earlier muffed a golden opportunity to break the partnership.

With the Black Caps still carving out an uncertain reply at 36 for one, McIntosh tossed the Windies a gift when he top-edged a pull off the pacy Edwards when on 14.

Both the bowler and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin raced forward to claim the skier but both pulled out at the last moment in a horrible mix-up and watched in disbelief as the ball fell harmlessly between them.