Evergreen Greg Hay | PHOTOSPORT

Century city!

Posted Wednesday, 3 November, 2021 in Match Reports

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ROUND TWO

OTAGO VOLTS drew with CENTRAL STAGS

University of Otago Oval, Dunedin

31 October-3 November 2021

SCORES

Toss: Central Stags who batted

Total points this round:

Central Stags 5

Otago Volts 6

SELECTED MILESTONES

100th first-class fixture between Otago and Central Districts

Jacob Duffy - 200th first-class wicket

Greg Hay (Stags) - 15th first-class century

Jake Gibson - career best bowling 4-84

Hamish Rutherford (Volts) - 16th first-class century

Mitch Renwick (Volts) - 2nd first-class century

Nick Kelly (Volts) - 2nd first-class century, first-class career best, first double century

Nick Kelly/Max Chu, 256 sixth-wicket partnership record for Otago Volts (previously 216 Hamish Rutherford/Derek de Boorder 2011/12)

Highest Otago Volts total against Central Stags

Second highest Otago Volts total overall

Brad Schmulian (Stags) - third first-class century

Dane Cleaver - seventh first-class century

DAY FOUR

Nick Kelly reached his first double century in Plunket Shield cricket, remaining unbeaten after an extraordinary 235 not out - at almost run-a-ball pace - as the Otago Volts declared on 642/6: one of their highest ever first-class cricket totals.

It was only the fifth time since the championship started in early 1900s that Otago had posted a 600-plus score, and it was a new record in matches for the hosts against the Central Stags (previously standing at 624).

Rutherford called in his batsmen just 10 runs short of the Otago all-time record of 651/9 declared against Wellington from 2012/13, which may have taken Kelly just a couple of balls to knock off. He had made sure Otago had put on 100 runs in just 11 overs in the morning hit.

Image: Otago Cricket

Kelly's career-best blitz had been the third century of the innings in the runfest, and history was very nearly rewritten with four before Max Chu was caught so tantalisingly close to a own maiden ton on 94 on the last morning. That really would have been something to celebrate - there have only ever been three previous instances of four centuries in a first-class innings in the Plunket Shield, and none of them for Otago.

Rutherford's first innings declaration in the first session of the final day left the Stags trailing by 248 on the first dig, needing to preserve wickets on the flat bed to avoid an innings defeat. However, they suffered an early blow with Bayley Wiggins the first to fall at 22/1.

That was soon brushed aside, however, as opener Greg Hay steadied the ship with an unbeaten 13* in almost 90 minutes of occupation before he retired not out with blurry vision.

That laid the carpet for Brad Schmulian (117) to score his third first-class century - and second in consecutive seasons at this ground against the Volts - while Dane Cleaver finished unbeaten on 108* as the teams finally shook hands for the draw.

The Volts and Stags now head to Nelson's Saxton Oval for Round Three, starting this Sunday 7 November.

DAY THREE

The early season runfest is showing no sign of slowing down, Otago Volt Nick Kelly helping to keep the Central Stags under pressure in the field in Dunedin in the Volts' mammoth first innings.

The Stags spent another long afternoon in the dirt as Kelly registered the third century of the Otago Volts' first innings, and the fourth of the match at University of Otago Oval.

By stumps, the hosts had become the first side to post a 500-plus total this season, having piled on 542/5 for a 148-run first-innings lead heading into the final day.

Kelly was unbeaten on a career best 169* at stumps, with wicketkeeper-batsman Max Chu on 73* in their 205-run stand for the sixth wicket (the Otago record stands at 216).

Earlier, Hamish Rutherford reached 144 before he was bowled by Ben Wheeler, his opening partnership with fellow centurion Mitch Renwick (107) having reached 251.

DAY TWO

Central Stags captain Greg Hay carried on from his overnight score of 127 not out - his second century in as many innings - to reach 152 today. The 37-year-old anchorman narrowly failed to carry his bat, having batted for more than eight hours before he became the ninth batsman to fall at 379/9.

His Stags were ultimately dismissed for 394, again collecting the full set of four batting bonus points while the Volts' attack took three bowling bonuses.

Those bowlers then got to enjoy putting their feet up for the rest of the day as opening batsmen Hamish Rutherford and Mitch Renwick settled in and emulated their opening adversary Hay with centuries of their own - just the 12th time in all New Zealand first-class cricket history that both openers had scored centuries (in a completed innings).

Veteran Rutherford will resume Day Three on 118 not out in his 16th first-class century (his 11th for the Otago Volts, and fifth against the Central Stags - against whom he has also been dismissed for 99).

His partner, Mitch Renwick followed his lead, reaching his second first-class century shortly after Rutherford had raised the bat, just before stumps.

It was Renwick's first Plunket Shield ton against his old team the Stags, and he will resume on 100 not out, the Volts having slashed the Stags' first innings advantage to just 171 runs heading into moving day.

DAY ONE

The Central Stags brushed off a Dunedin opening day so windy that the umpires dispensed with the bails to power themselves into a strong position by stumps.

The visiting skipper had again won the toss and again opted to bat first, a decision well justified by the end of the day as he walked back in unbeaten on 127 not out overnight.

It was evergreen opening batsman Greg Hay's 15th first-class century, having celebrated in the same week his 14th up in Christchurch, becoming today the first Stag to score back-to-back Plunket Shield tons since Jesse Ryder in Nelson in 2017.

He batted throughout the day to see his side to 321/6 by stumps, capitalising against an Otago attack missing the services of strike man Michael Rae who had injured his hamstring in the southerner's previous round in Wellington.

Angus McKenzie toils away | PHOTOSPORT

Hay was once again well supported by Tom Bruce, the dashing number five batsman unlucky to miss out on three figures himself after galloping to back-to-back half centuries with 74 off just 96 balls.

Bruce fell to a magnificent diving short leg catch from Dale Phillips, giving Jacob Duffy the second of his three wickets for the day at 191/4.

Jake Gibson had picked up a brace early with the Volts excited to remove Bayley Wiggins in Gibson's first over - Wiggins having scored a century on debut in the opening game the week before.

But smiles dried up through an enervating afternoon in the windy outfield, thanks chiefly to the 125-run partnership between Bruce and Hay, simply picking up where they left off in the match before.

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