KEY POINTS:
Auckland opener Tim McIntosh has been told what he has to do to make it on to cricket's ultimate stage and his century last week against Canterbury was one step toward it.
McIntosh's name has been mentioned in Black Cap dispatches before _ try seasons 2003-04 through 2008-09. The problem has been that nearly every time the 29-year-old left-hander posted an eye-catching total, he followed with a run of low scores _ in his one disastrous season with Canterbury he averaged 4.9 _ that take him back to square one in the selectors' eyes.
"It's [consistency] something I want to develop," McIntosh said. "It would be nice if I could follow up this hundred [140] with a couple of good scores and continue that through the season. It's certainly something I'm focusing on.
"Basically, I've been told that in order for me to make higher honours that's the side of my game to get
better at. [Auckland coach] Mark O'Donnell told me that and I think he was passed that on by a `higher source' but I don't know who that is."
There is an opportunity. Aaron Redmond, who is to open against Australia, has yet to convince he can score heavily against quality attacks. McIntosh _ his 12 first-class centuries put him behind only Michael Parlane's 14 for active players who have never played for New Zealand _ is probably next in line.
Outside the requisite consistency, McIntosh ticks most of the boxes for a successful opener. He leaves the ball well, is patient and capitalises on good starts. His height makes it difficult for bowlers to find a good length to him and, crucially, he is left-handed at a time when there is a dearth of good left-handers.
That would seemingly make him the ideal partner, in terms of contrasts, to the right-handed, free-scoring, compact Jamie How.
Even after 10 years on the first-class circuit the dream of representing his country still burns bright.
"It's been a dream since a young age. It's something that I hope will happen if I keep putting up scores but it's not something you think about too much while you're playing."
He does say, however, that he thinks he is a much better player at 29 than he was even a few years ago.
Auckland named an unchanged 12 to meet Central Districts starting tomorrow at Napier's Nelson Park.
