For a talented young man of glowing strokes, Crowe gave a completely captivating display of tenacity, determination and concentration.
His innings took 571 minutes, and he just about scored a double-take of the New Zealand manager John Heslop's personal prize of $50 to any team member who can bat 300 minutes.
During that time Crowe breathed determination, holding back his favourite strokes, so seldom offering the tearaway West Indian bowlers the hint of a chink in his armour. Crowe's 142-run stand with Jeremy Coney (73) ended quickly yesterday, Richard Hadlee departed at 261 for six, but then Ian Smith (53) played superbly in a 143-run stand to get New Zealand past the follow-on mark of 311 with wickets to spare.
But the day belonged so much to young Crowe, utterly completely engrossed in proving to himself and his team-mates he was ready for what those in the trade call the "big 100" and New Zealand should be deeply grateful he did.
Minefield
For the first two hours yesterday the New Zealanders went cautiously along, rather like tip-toeing through a minefield, each run a cautious step ahead, sometimes a two, sometimes a long and agonising runless pause, that follow-on mark of 312 still a long way distant.
Crowe was especially careful, and he had scored only one run before Coney relaxed with a very free waft at a ball from Michael Holding and, at 240, sent the catch comfortably to Viv Richards at first slip.
Hadlee was next into the firing line of bouncers, especially from Marshall, but at least he got the score moving - an edge for four just wide of Richie Richardson, the bonus of a four, two and one in one over from Holding.
But there were still mines about, and at 261 Hadlee stepped on one, beaten by Marshall's pace, with Jeff Dujon taking the catch.
So along came Smith, jittery with his usual pre-innings nerves, but weaving away from the bumpers, playing carefully straight, taking 29 minutes for his first single.
Confident
By now Crowe was looking more confident, but still tightly determined. He managed his first four of the day after 95 minutes, moving to 84, and by lunch at 282 for six Crowe, with only 14 runs in the two hours, had battled along to 87.
There were still 30 runs needed, and one run after lunch came the turning point. Joel Garner somehow managed to get a little extra bounce from the torpid pitch, the ball flew from Smith's bat, Richardson at second slip could only get his finger-tips to the ball which flew away to the fence.
From that point on Crowe and Smith went solidly, confidently along.
Crowe reached 90 with a superb on-drive for four from Garner, New Zealand went past 300, Smith found a four to long-on and then, with the half-full ground roaring with noise, Crowe reached his century after seven hours' dedicated toil.
It was a magical memorable moment for the young man, for New Zealand cricket, for all those battling teams that fight back so splendidly against apparently overwhelming odds.
For most of those seven hours Crowe had not relaxed, his head bent low in concentration. As he scored the single which brought his second test century, and New Zealand to 311 for six, he at last stood tall, head erect, perhaps the slightest glimpse of triumph on his face as he signalled with bat and clenched fist to his team-mates in the pavilion.
Then he and Smith buckled down to the hard work again, against Clyde Butts' probing but scarcely lethal off-spin. Smith took New Zealand clear of the follow-on with a four and then Crowe allowed himself the luxury of a leisurely sweep for four from Larry Gomes, perhaps the first time for four or five hours that Crowe had allowed himself the pleasure of a stroke across the line of the ball.
In that unforgettable hour after lunch Crowe and Smith had scored 61, compared with the 52 runs New Zealand had scraped together before lunch.
By now Crowe seemed bent with fatigue, but he did manage a lovely flowing straight six from Richards' gentle off-spin.
Back came Marshall, back came the hard hats, but the New Zealanders ploughed on, past their 100-run stand in 134 minutes, when Crowe had the same score.
Crowe hit Marshall straight for four, a shot of real majesty, and the impish Smith improved Marshall's surly mood not a jot with two off-side boundaries.
Stamina
Crowe was to 150 in 491 minutes, his last 50 in 72 minutes of real glory. Smith, by using not utterly dependable shots, had his 50 in 159 minutes.
New Zealand cruised past 400 and Marshall came back but looking dreadfully tired. He is not the prettiest bowler, running in elbows flying, and he is less pretty from front-on. But one could only admire his stamina.
Marshall kept on belting in, smacking the ball into the lifeless pitch, and at last, to the final ball before tea, it gave him some help.
The ball was quick, straight, and most important, it kept low and Smith was gone, lbw after after 174 minutes of utterly determined work.
Still, with New Zealand 404 for seven at tea, Crowe 159, New Zealand seemed to have a draw safely in their sights - but no one told Holding.
With one magnificent ball, cutting back from the off, he hit Lance Cairns' off stump. Stephen Boock, same ball, same result, eight and nine wickets for 415, but Ewen Chatfield steadfastly foiled Holding's hat-trick.
Two strokes stay in the mind in an over from Holding, Crowe rearing back and square cutting a four, then with a stroke most mortals can only dream about, getting on the front foot and hitting to the fence through extra-cover.
Hammond
It was a great shot, perhaps even Walter Hammond in modern dress. It was really the last memory of Crowe, before Garner won his lbw decision - but a memory befitting one of the great batting feats of recent New Zealand times.
Gordon Greenidge, in the 50-minute footnote before stumps, hit Hadlee's first ball for four, and Chatfield's, too. He tried again next ball, but got the top edge to end all top edges, the ball going straight up an enormous distance.
Smith chased from behind the stumps, but Wright was closer from mid-wicket. He waited under the ball and then got himself in such a tangle he actually fell over, and missed the chance while sitting on the ground some 20m from the stumps.
Hadlee had more luck, and deserved it for he beat the stroke so often, when Haynes got a fine touch and Smith had the catch. After those skylarks, Greenidge and Butts the nightwatchman went sedately through to stumps, ready for the academic exercise today.
