Brendon McCullum got the "ugly hundred" he needed, but questions remain over his fitness to keep wicket for New Zealand in Sunday's Chappell-Hadlee Trophy cricket opener in Perth.
The vice-captain defied a niggly hip injury to break a lean recent trot with 114 off 130 balls yesterday in the side's tour-opening six-wicket loss to the Prime Minister's 11 in Canberra.
The tourists flew to Perth today after three of their top-four -- McCullum, Peter Fulton (53) and Ross Taylor (38 off 41) -- had useful dress rehearsals against a young bowling attack as New Zealand scored 271 for five.
But the bowlers let them down with what captain Daniel Vettori described as a "really poor" display which lacked purpose as the Justin Langer-captained home side cruised to 272 for four with 13 balls to spare.
After enduring the 37degC heat for 194 minutes, and hitting nine fours and a six, McCullum sat out the run chase and said it was touch and go whether he'd take the gloves in Perth.
"I'd rather be involved in the series just as a batter than not play at all," McCullum said.
"That's my role, wicketkeeper-batsman, and when you're not wicketkeeping it does make it harder and does affect our balance.
"But you've got to look at long-term plan as well and I've just got to make sure I'm sensible about what's right and wrong and don't try to force it too much."
Gloveman Gareth Hopkins was summoned to Perth as cover on Wednesday after McCullum suffered the hip flexor strain while batting the nets. If Hopkins played he'd need to bat in the top-six so New Zealand could field their full compliment of bowlers.
McCullum was clearly hampered by the injury yesterday but ground it out after averaging just 21.5 in the recent series against West Indies.
It reminded McCullum he needed to be more patient against the Australian pacemen and try to anchor New Zealand's innings rather than go for his regular all-out attack.
"I'm used to trying to operate at a strike rate of 120-130, so to not be able to play like that was a little frustrating.
"But I've been looking for an ugly hundred for a while to try and find the tempo with which I have to bat at. That was the one positive, I wasn't feeling that great but still managed to get through to a score.
"I'm trying to bat a similar way, and if I can get a pitch with more pace and try to find my timing a bit better I'll end up scoring quicker anyway.
"I've got to flick the switch from trying to score 70-80 off 40 balls to make sure I bat 35-40 overs and make a contribution that way."
That's all the more crucial in the absence of regular opening partner Jesse Ryder, sidelined until at least the second match in Melbourne next Friday with an inflamed left shoulder joint.
On the bowling front, Vettori said Tim Southee would definitely return after being rested yesterday. His Northern Districts teammate Trent Boult, 19, had a torrid debut after an early wicket and ended with one for 56 off 6.5.
Spinner Jeetan Patel pushed his claims for Perth with two for 51 off 10 overs, figures that were blown out by an expensive final over.
Vettori labelled Patel his best bowler and said he was right in the frame to play the series opener.
NZPA
