Zimbabwe claimed two quick wickets, but New Zealand have consolidated their strong start to the one-off cricket Test in Napier on Thursday.

At tea on the opening day, the Blacks Caps had reached 2-194, with opener Brendon McCullum on 82 and skipper Ross Taylor on 41.

Zimbabwe skipper Brendan Taylor’s decision to bowl after winning the toss – New Zealand had indicated they would have done the same – backfired when McCullum and Martin Guptill put on a century partnership for the first wicket.

The pair’s stand reached three figures just after lunch when McCullum pulled a Shingirai Masakadza delivery for four.

Four balls later in the same over, McCullum went past 50 with a cover drive to the boundary.

Guptill also brought up his half-century with a four through cover off Masakadza’s bowling to go to 51.

But at none for 124, New Zealand’s momentum was stalled with the fall of two wickets in the space of seven runs.

Guptill was the first to go without adding to his score when he was caught behind after Masakadza, one of two Test debutants in the Zimbabwe side, produced a ball with a bit more bounce.

New batsman Kane Williamson then went to four before he was run out in a mix-up with McCullum, who failed to respond to Williamson’s call for a run.