BRISBANE, Oct 28: Chris Cairns, Craig McMillan and Lou Vincent each hit centuries Sunday as New Zealand scored 498 for eight to draw their three-day tour match against Queensland President’s XI.

All-rounder Cairns, the man New Zealand will look to in the three-Test series against Australia starting in Brisbane on Nov 8, hit 119 from 81 balls before retiring.

The innings of Cairns, who has not played Test cricket this year because of a knee injury, helped to restore some pride in the tourists’ camp after they had allowed the side of Queensland state fringe players to amass 477 for six declared in their first innings.

Cairns hit seven sixes in his 67-ball century, adding 221 for the sixth wicket with McMillan (116 retired) while Vincent compiled 136.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said the New Zealanders could not hide from their poor bowling performance.

“It would be wrong to say we weren’t concerned with yesterday’s performance but we have to keep it in perspective,” he said. “We would have liked to bowl sides out and we haven’t made inroads into any side and as long as that continues it develops anxieties but you just push on.

“But we are a lot further down the track than the results would suggest.

“Chris Cairns won’t bowl like that again (1-130) because he is too good a player and it’s great to have Dion Nash (1-81) back. I’m very satisfied with where he’s at.”

New Zealand play their fourth tour match and first against a first-class team when the Queensland state side host a four-day match starting Thursday at the Gabba.

Left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori’s absence for at least the first two Tests because of an ankle injury is a major disappointment for New Zealand ahead of the Test series against the world champions.

“We’re under no illusions about what we need to do,” Fleming said. “It was a big hammer blow when Dan went down but we can’t do much about that.”

In Vettori’s absence, spinners Glen Sulzberger and Paul Wiseman conceded 79 runs from a combined 10 overs.