A unbeaten maiden double century to Ross Taylor helped New Zealand reach 575-8 at tea on the second day in the first Test against the West Indies in Dunedin.

Taylor brought up the milestone just before the break by glancing the ball to the leg side and celebrated by removing his helmet and saluting the home dressing room and the crowd basking in the sun at the University Oval.

It came from 295 balls and included 23 fours.

Starting the day on 103, the former skipper went about his business in a steady fashion only occasionally taking to a much-improved West Indies attack.

He cracked four boundaries off Shannon Gabriel after lunch to take 18 off one over but his favourite shot, the slog sweep, was kept in the locker.

Taylor enjoyed a life on 131 when he was dropped at short leg by Kieran Powell after getting an inside edge to a ball from off-spinner Shane Shillingford and went on to make the tourists pay.

He became the 13th New Zealander to score a double century, the 17th overall, and went to the interval on 206 not out with Neil Wagner with him on 14.

Taylor helped keep the innings on track following the early loss of Brendon McCullum after adding just four runs to his overnight score of 109.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy managed to get some movement off the benign pitch to sneak between McCullum’s bat and pad to hit his off stump.

It ended a fourth-wicket stand of 195 between him and Taylor – a new record against the West Indies.

McCullum scored 14 boundaries and three sixes in his 134-ball innings.

Corey Anderson spent an unconvincing 14 balls at the crease before being strangled down the legside for a duck by Tino Best.

BJ Watling (41) and Ish Sodhi (35) added half-century stands with Taylor as the home side pushed their total beyond 500.

Best claimed Watling to grab his third wicket, while Sammy limped out of the attack with an injured right gluteal muscle in the 11th over of the day and did not bowl again.

The energetic Best was again the most threatening bowler and had figures of 3-131 but the odd ball from the spinners did enough to pique leg-spinner Sodhi’s interest.