KEY POINTS:
This is a story of two young batsmen.
One of them spent Saturday taking a hammer to the West Indies attack in a brilliant start to what could be a long, fruitful international career.
The other looked on after getting hammered last week, and spent his Saturday carrying more drinks.
For Martin Guptill, whatever else he accomplishes in cricket, he will never forget his first match for New Zealand.
If he'd penned the script he couldn't have done much better than making the second highest score by a cricketer on his ODI debut.
His parents were there, he was playing on his home ground, he brought up his century in the grandest of manners, lofting West Indies captain Chris Gayle into the crowd.
It is a terrific story. If he'd sought an improvement on what Saturday had in store, he might only have asked for a New Zealand victory from his memorable 122 not out, instead of a rained-off fizzer which kept the series alive to its finale in Napier tomorrow.
He might also have preferred not to have given three chances, along the way. But sometimes you need a bit of luck. There will be other days he doesn't get it, so you savour the achievement and look ahead.
Guptill was supposed to be batting at No 3 on Saturday. But he was promoted in place of Jesse Ryder, once the Wellington batsman's latest night on the bottle came to light.
So Ryder spent the day sitting on the boundary, grinning away, ferrying refreshments and messages out to the batsmen.
At every appearance he was greeted with cheers of the supportive variety, as distinct from those offered by the morons on either side of the bars around the country he wanders into with his mates. Some mates.
You wonder if, deep down, he truly understands he's pouring away a hugely bright cricket career.
It's easy enough to produce lines, written for him, about "only now starting to appreciate the size of the challenge that I face". The proof will be in what he does about it.
This is strike two, after his Christchurch run-in with a glass window in a bar last February. Strike two when he's been caught out, that is.
If you ask around, you'll hear enough Ryder war stories, people who've heard about the night he did this or that. Some tales grow in the retelling, some don't.
His captain Dan Vettori wanted Ryder at Eden Park on Saturday, partly because he remains an important person within the New Zealand playing group, partly because he believed Ryder needed to feel accountable for his actions.
That is a commendably supportive position, with a touch of tough love thrown in. Both Vettori and coach Andy Moles maintain the other players are behind Ryder. They could scarcely say otherwise.
No one knows how wide the differing views are on what to do about Ryder within the squad. But when you gather a dozen individuals you can guarantee there won't be 12 hearts and minds with an identical opinion.
That's not sport. It's life.
Players have been quietly deputed to take turns keeping an eye on Ryder. Why should they be? They've got their own livelihoods to consider.
Why should NZC have to consider employing a minder to keep tabs on a player 24/7? As NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said late last week, if a player really wants to break the rules hard enough you can't stop him.
Only those who have been in Ryder's situation can truly appreciate his problem. People have tried to help.
Clearly, he's a weak-willed 24-year-old. If he doesn't grasp the fact he's at a crossroads and needs to listen to those who can speak with authority on the subject he'll be lost.
Right now, the next transgression seems just a matter of when.
How much leniency should NZC grant him? It is right not to chop him off, but the clock is ticking. For all the good intentions, this can't carry on. Next month, he may be hired to play in the Indian Premier League. Who will be in the Mumbai Indians or the Rajasthan Royals to hold his hand?
In 10 years, will Ryder have piled up a dozen test hundreds and be one of our finest batsmen?
Or will he be a footnote in cricket history, whose name will evoke a mix of sniggers and sadly-shaking heads at a wasted opportunity?
