SPECTACULAR CENTURIES IN AUCKLAND, HAMILTON
Dry, flat conditions are providing plenty of runs in first-class cricket, with three notable centuries on one day.
In Hamilton, Northern Districts allrounder Brett Hampton hammered the fifth fastest century (by balls) in his team’s history, reaching his century off just 73 balls (8×4, 8×6).
The 33-year-old went on to a career best 121 off 86 balls before Travis Muller had him caught, competition leader ND going on to a first innings total of 365 in just 82.3 overs. The Otago Volts will resume at Seddon Park this morning on 58 for no loss in their second innings, trailing overall by six runs.
Fastest first-class centuries (by balls) for ND:
66 balls – Barry Cooper v Canterbury at Gisborne in 1986/87
69 balls – Matthew Maynard v Auckland in Auckland (outer oval), 1991/92
70 balls – Chris Kuggeleijn v Central Stags at Nelson (Trafalgar Park), 1989/90
72 balls – Anton Devcich v Central Stags at Nelson Park, Napier in 2017/18
73 balls – Brett Hampton v Otago Volts at Seddon Park, 2024/25
The national record (for first-class matches where the number of balls is known, also the record fastest by minutes) is held by Lance Cairns, 45 balls, Otago v Wellington, Lower Hutt 1979/80; the international record is 27 balls.
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Meanwhile in Auckland, BLACKCAP Mark Chapman carried on from an already hefty overnight unbeaten score of 181 after the first day’s play at Eden Park’s Kennards Hire Community Oval to reach a lofty 276 (28×4, 10×6), the third highest individual score in Auckland’s long first-class history.
Chapman’s scintillating innings came off 325 balls, over more than eight and a half hours in all, as he provided almost half of the Aces’ mammoth first innings total of 567/9 declared. That’s the 12th highest Auckland first-class total in history.
Highest first-class scores for Auckland:
290 – Bill Carson v Otago in Dunedin, 1936/37
281 – Colin Munro v Central Stags at Nelson Park, Napier, 2014/15
276 – Mark Chapman v Canterbury, Kennards Hire Community Oval (outer oval), 2024/25
269 not out – Colin Munro v Wellington, Kennards Hire Community Oval (outer oval), 2012/13
By stumps on day two, young Canterbury captain Rhys Mariu had already responded with his second century in the space of two games, having scored a double century in Nelson in the previous round against the Stags last week.
Mariu will resume today on 119 not out alongside Scott Janett who is unbeaten on 87 not out, the 20-year-old rookie Janett’s career-best score, in an unbroken 211*-run stand for the first wicket, still trailing the Aces by 356 in the first innings.
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In Napier, it’s even Stevens between hosts the Central Stags and defending champion the Wellington Firebirds, with Dane Cleaver again in the runs at McLean Park this summer.
Cleaver will resume on 50 not out on the third morning of the four-day match, the Stags 233/7 in reply to the Firebirds’ 251/9 declared in the first innings.
BLACKCAP Josh Clarkson (hamstring injury while bowling yesterday) has dropped down the order.
Day three in all matches begins at 10.30am.
