Canterbury's Chad Bowes brings up his third Plunket Shield ton of the summer against Otago this week.

All Chad Bowes wanted to do growing up was be the next Jacques Kallis or Jonty Rhodes.

The Durban native dreamed of one day wearing the dark green Proteas cap and blasting bowling attacks around the famed grounds of world cricket.

Bowes still aspires to play international cricket, but come the summer of 2019-20, it could be with New Zealand, not South Africa.

Kai Schwoerer Canterbury's South African-born opener Chad Bowes is eligible to play for New Zealand from 2019-20.

In his second season with Canterbury, the 24-year-old opener aims to follow the path of fellow South-African born cricketers Neil Wagner, Grant Elliott and Kruger van Wyk, who emigrated, and crack the Black Caps.

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Bowes brought up his third Plunket Shield century of the season on Wednesday, hitting 137 in competition leader Canterbury's innings rout of Otago at Hagley Oval.

He'll briefly return to South Africa in May to marry fiancee Chloe with the couple then making Christchurch their long-term home.

Next summer, the former South African under-19 skipper, who opened with wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock at the 2012 age-group World Cup, will be a New Zealand qualifying player and no longer considered an import.

In two seasons time, he'll complete his four year stand-down period and be eligible for New Zealand.

Bowes isn't getting ahead of himself. He knows there's plenty of hard work, substantial scores and consistent cricket needed to even put himself in the selection frame.

"If I'm in a position where I can [play for New Zealand] that will be amazing, but it's not my focus.

"I know it's a reality that in two years, or whenever it happens, there might be more talk about it. It it's meant to be, it will happen."

He hears the chatter about the possibility of representing New Zealand. His sole focus was scoring runs for Canterbury and continuing to make an impact in their quest for the Plunket Shield.

"It's been a dream to play international cricket my whole life. At the end of the day, there's more to life than that.

"In the past, my downfall was that's all I made my life to be was to play international cricket and I don't think that's healthy for me. For me, if it happens, it happens."

Bowes played domestically for KwaZulu-Natal, but frustrated by South Africa's quota system, where teams must have six players of colour in their playing XI and a lack of opportunities, looked abroad.

As a youngster, he idolised Rhodes' brilliant reflexes in the field and legendary all-rounder Kallis.

"He was No 1 growing up. He was all class. If I could bat like him, I'd be happy man."

His move to Canterbury was largely brought about through former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming.

Bowes considered Auckland and Wellington, but Fleming's friendship with his agent Patrick Steytler, steered him to Christchurch's Sydenham club, Fleming's old side. The rest is history.

His first season in New Zealand was a struggle. He broke the little finger on his left hand in a club match, which sidelined him for two months. Being away from Chloe was also a challenge.

"It was a really tough one. Family is the most important thing in my life, so to leave them behind was a hard decision to make."

Bowes finds himself in a unique situation watching New Zealand's home series against South Africa.

He's regularly quizzed about who he's backing, but remains split down the middle.

"South Africa will always be home. I'll always love the place, but my career right now is in New Zealand and that's where I plan to progress.

"I have mates on both sides and I'll support them as individuals."