Jermaine Blackwood has credited better composure, greater confidence as well as pre-match preparation for helping him score his second Test century on Saturday.

Blackwood scored 104, his first century in five years as he an Alzarri Joseph, who produced a career-best 86, put on an outstanding 155-run seventh-wicket partnership that was more than half the West Indies total of 247.

Despite the heavy loss of an innings and 134 runs, the 29-year-old middle order batsman said he was happy to have been able to score a century for his team. In 32 Tests, Blackwood has been dismissed in the 90s on three separate occasions. In October 2015, he was out for 92 against Sri Lanka. Against Pakistan he was dismissed for 95 in October 2016 and this past summer, in July he was out for 95 against England.

On Saturday, he said, he was ready to go all the way.

“This time it was less pressure. I felt less pressure this time around when I was in the 90s. I was more confident in myself that I could get the job done, and to be able to score a hundred for myself and my team, it’s a very good feeling,” Blackwood said after the match, adding that he put the necessary work it to be able to achieve this milestone.

“I worked hard and I trusted my preparation because I think my preparation was good leading into the series.”

He thanked the West Indies coaching staff whom he said helped him prepare for the conditions that confronted him when the West Indies went into bat after New Zealand had made 519 for 7 on a green pitch at Seddon Park in Hamilton.

“(They) kept feeding me a lot of short balls, good length deliveries. You can see out in the middle I am more comfortable to the short stuff as well so it’s a good sign going forward,” he said.

He said he was not intimidated by the nature of the pitch as he was used to similar type of pitches back home in Jamaica.

“I play on a lot of bouncy tracks at Sabina Park, so to come and see this green track it didn’t faze me too much,” he said.

“I just think to stay positive, the right frame of mind, try to play the ball as late as possible, watch the ball and play each ball on its merit.”