Rising Auckland batsman Martin Guptill has scored a century on the second day of the State Championship game against Otago at the Eden Park Outer Oval.

Guptill reached his 100 off 166 balls and added 115 for the second wicket with Reece Young (54).

Auckland is 218 for two, with Otago fast bowler James McMillan having taken both wickets.

Otago had been dismissed for 418 earlier in the day, with Greg Todd (98) falling agonisingly short of a well-deserved century.

On Saturday, fans were wondering if Auckland cricket captain Richard Jones saw something in the pitch that no one else did.

There can be no other explanation for his decision to invite Otago to bat first on the opening day of the four-day State Championship match.

The batsmen have been gorging themselves at the venue all summer and nothing changed as Otago scored 350 for five in their first innings by stumps, with captain Craig Cumming posting a century.

Admittedly Jones was let down badly by his bowlers in the first session as Otago rushed to lunch on 135 without loss after the home attack were guilty of bowling on both sides of the wicket.

They improved their line thereafter but by then Otago openers Cumming and Aaron Redmond were well set.

These two were eventually parted midway through the second session when test reject Redmond reached 50.

He and Cumming had put on 158 before Redmond attempted to square drive seamer Colin de Grandhomme but succeeded only in toe-ending the ball to Jones at point.

Cumming, who had filled his boots in the first session when he made 85, duly raised his 13th first-class century but was out shortly after when he drove legspinner Tarun Nethula to Martin Guptill in the covers.

Cumming hit 105 in 206 minutes, including 17 fours to post his second century in as many matches after he topped three figures last week against Central Districts in Napier.

His departure did not relieve the pressure on the Auckland bowlers as Greg Todd and Neil Broom put on 97 for the third wicket in a partnership dominated by Broom.

He was particularly forthright on the placid surface, striking nine fours as he reached 60 off just 94 balls before Nethula deceived him in a leg before wicket decision.

His removal saw Todd assume more responsibility and he flourished in the role, advancing to 83 and within sight of his own century after hitting 14 fours in four hours at the crease.