'I didn't want to field today' – Watling reveals motivation behind big knock

In a line-up featuring some of the sport's finest match-winners in skipper Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, Watling has been for long been an unsung hero in Test cricket. Much like his remarkable 352-run association with Brendon McCullum in 2014 against India, and his enterprising 120 against England at Headingley in 2015, Watling once again came to the fore when his team needed him the most.

Watling took the crease late on the first day, after the dismissal of Williamson and with his team trailing by more than 200. He went on to carry his bat through the third day, scoring 119*, and driving the hosts to a position of strength at 394/6.

Watling doesn't possess the flashy strokes, but he said he's happy being functional, and spoke of the importance of sticking to one's strengths. "I just think I'm a very limited player," said Watling. "I try to play how I know works best for me.

"There are shots that the big boys can play and I definitely can't, so I take those away from my game. I try to stick to a game-plan and hopefully it pays off. I waited for balls to hit and I wouldn't be drawn into anything the bowlers wanted.

"I know I didn't want to field today, so that was driving me. It was a warm day and you could tell they were tough conditions [for the fielding side]."

Wattling showed great resistance and application during his 298-ball stay, weathering some quality bowling from Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer. "It was hard work," he said. "England kept coming at us. They bowled extremely well.

"There were moments where they put us under a lot of pressure and the pleasing thing is we managed to soak it up. England executed their bouncer plan really well and the surface was slow and the bounce variable. It was tough to score freely."

New Zealand are 41 runs ahead of England's first-innings 353, and with a well-set Mitchell Santner (31*) batting at the other end, Watling said he was hoping to seize the advantage. "We're expecting the surface to keep playing a few more tricks over the next couple of days," he said.

"So it is important for us to try and build this lead a bit, and put them under some pressure when they bat. The least amount of runs we can chase, [the] better. I definitely think we can win. If we can get some partnerships going tomorrow, there's every chance of a result going our way."