Brendon McCullum played an immaculately constructed 131 to lead New Zealand to 303 for 8 at the Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi, and gave them a serious chance to level the series in the second one-dayer against Pakistan yesterday.

Momentum changed several times over his innings, but McCullum stood through it all, commandeering what may have been the decisive shift, for his first hundred since June 2008. But it wasn't until Martin Guptill arrived, that McCullum really settled in.

Guptill didn't come in blazing, instead simply implementing the time-honoured truism that the easiest singles in international cricket are found in Pakistan's 30-yard circle. It was selfless stuff, for the real beneficiary was McCullum, Guptill's harrying allowing him to pick up the pace. A length ball was also pulled and McCullum, soon, was celebrating a fifty.

Guptill had, until then, been charming company. Spin threatened circumspection but not for long as Guptill danced down to loft Ajmal for six in the 20th over. McCullum, ever more confident, coolly deposited Afridi for six over midwicket and within a trice, the century stand was up. By then Guptill had decided that boundaries were more value in the heat: twice more he glided down the track to loft the spinners, once to bring up his fifty. But in a sense, McCullum's real work began after a needless slog from Guptill began a mini-collapse, at the end of which three wickets had gone for not much, and Pakistan were sniffing. As in the first game, New Zealand's huff was running out at the halfway mark. McCullum now needed to shepherd. His captain helped, for so obdurately does Daniel Vettori stick around that he could be the crease's chalk: he gave McCullum key support in a fifty-run partnership which stemmed the collapse and stealthily stole momentum back.

McCullum reined himself in. The singles he kept picking and neither did he let go of his basic intent. As further wickets fell - the threat of wickets in Pakistan's attack just as sudden and sharp -and he neared his hundred, the significance of the Powerplay grew. Jacob Oram stole handy runs and, on McCullum's broad back, New Zealand had their best chance to win their first ODI against Pakistan in the UAE.