Andrew Flintoff hopes his first Test century will be the catalyst for improved batting displays for England.

The Lancashire all-rounder finally came of age on the third day against New Zealand at Christchurch, as his superb ton helped put England within sight of victory.

"I am looking for consistency," he said. "I want to build on this and start scoring runs on a more regular basis."

"It was nice to get a decent score but, to be honest, when I went out there I was trying not to score a pair. Never did I imagine I would be scoring 130-odd."

Flintoff's previous best effort in Test cricket was a rather more humble effort of 42.

"I managed to get into the right position and hit the ball in the middle of the bat for a change.

"I'd never got to 50 in a Test before and 50 was the big mark for me. I was reasonably relaxed by the time I got into the 90s, even though I seemed to be on 96 for a long time."

In partnership with Graham Thorpe, who struck the third fastest double century of all time, Flintoff put on an England record sixth-wicket stand against all countries of 281.

For the kids

Thorpe dedicated 100 runs to each of his children after his brilliant 231-ball innings.

It was a vivid reminder of how much England missed him in India, when he was forced to return home after the first of three Tests because of marital problems.

"Many good players have not scored a double century in their career and it's nice to be able to get one," he commented.

Only Adam Gilchrist and Ian Botham have made faster double tons in a Test match but Thorpe paid tribute to partner Andrew Flintoff after they provided a batting feast for England's Barmy Army followers.