Ross Taylor scored his 17th century to equal captain Kane Williamson and the late Martin Crowe today, as the West Indies limped to stumps on the third day of the the second test at Seddon Park.
New Zealand have two full days to take the last eight West Indian wickets to complete a crushing 2-0 test series win.
The visitors were 30 for two, requiring 444 to win, when they went off the pitch this evening.
No team has ever made that many in a fourth innings to win a test. The best was the West Indies 418 for seven against Australia at Antigua in 2003.
New Zealand established a first innings advantage of 152, and reached 291 for eight in their second innings, ramming home their dominance.
The only uncomfortable period in the day for the hosts came shortly after lunch when fast bowler Miguel Cummins produced a sizzling six-over spell which dismissed Williamson, with a brilliant yorker off his first delivery after the restart, and Henry Nicholls.
But Taylor was well set and pressed on to his century, which he reached driving debutant Ray Reifer to the long off fence.
Altogether Taylor batted 270 minutes, faced 198 balls and hit 11 fours.
He was dropped once, by Shai Hope at gully on 35 off Shannon Gabriel, but Taylor was strong on the leg side and frequently pierced the offside field.
He shared stands of 58 with Williamson, 50 with Mitchell Santner, 51 with Colin de Grandhomme and an unbroken 34 with Tim Southee.
Taylor also moved to 56th on the alltime test runmaking chart, going past Australian great Neil Harvey, South African Herschelle Gibbs, Indian Mohammed Azharuddin, West Indian Rohan Kanhai and Aussie Mike Hussey in that order.
Santner was clattered on his helmet by Cummins during his demanding burst, and figures for that spell of 6-0-26-2 barely do it justice.
Cummins finished with three for 69 off 17 overs, while Gabriel took two for 52 and offspinner Roston Chase two for 51.
The West Indies pursuit got off to the worst possible start with opener Kieran Powell completing a pair for the match, edging left armer Trent Boult low to Southee at third slip.
Another lefthander Shimron Hetmyer, on 15, then drove Southee to mid off when Neil Wagner took a low catch.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite is on 13 and Hope on one, the target still far over the horizon at 414 left to get.
Earlier, both New Zealand openers had been dismissed as the West Indies bowlers did a solid job.
Jeet Raval fell to lively Miguel Cummins’ first ball of the innings.
The ball hurried on to the left-hander quicker than he anticipated and he jabbed a return catch back to the bowler, on four.
Tom Latham had time for a couple of clean pulls to the forward square leg fence before going lbw to left-armer Ray Reifer.
At first sight the ball appeared to be arrowing in on leg stump, but Latham, after consulting Williamson, tried a review, which simply confirmed he was out at 22.
The bowlers had done a decent restricting job of Williamson, but were badly let down by schoolboy fielding blunders.
When Williamson found his feet, the runs started flowing.
There were classy drives down the ground and through covers and deft leg glances as the skipper went to his 26th test 50 in just 54 balls.
New Zealand wasted no time finishing the West Indies first innings off today for the addition of just six runs from their overnight 215 for eight.
In sharp contrast to the final stages of New Zealand’s first innings yesterday, when last pair Tim Southee and Trent Boult added 61, the Windies folded meekly.
Left armer Boult dismissed Cummins and Shannon Gabriel in consecutive deliveries, both bowled, to cut the West Indies down at 221, just six runs having been added from their overnight score.
Boult finished with four for 73, moving him to 198 test wickets, with two apiece for Southee, Colin de Grandhomme and Neil Wagner.
