Young Central Stags allrounder Will Clark has written himself into New Zealand’s first-class cricket record books after joining a very short list of players to have celebrated their maiden five-wicket bag and maiden first-class century in the same match.
Stepping up in the absence of injured Josh Clarkson (the Black Cap ruled out ahead of the fourth round with a hamstring tear), the Hawke’s Bay 23-year-old took his first Plunket Shield bag, 5/62, on the opening day of the top-of-the-table, away clash with Northern Districts at Bay Oval, then raced to his maiden century - 109 off 130 balls - on yesterday’s second day.
Clark joins Bill Redgrave (1905/06 for Wellington v Hawke’s Bay, pre-Plunket Shield), Les Butler (1961/62, for Wellington) and John Sparling (1959/60, for Auckland) as players to have achieved both maiden milestones for a New Zealand Domestic in the same match.
He also becomes one of just five players to have “done the double” for the Central Stags, joining 1960s icons Vic Pollard and Bryan Yuile, Martin Crowe (who did it twice in consecutive summers) and Brendon Diamanti.
In the context of the game, Clark’s innings was vital to Central’s recovery from the quick loss of both captain Tom Bruce and form batter Dane Cleaver, after ND quick Matt Fisher (4/46) hauled his side back into the fight in Mt Maunganui.
But Clark’s double century stand for the fifth wicket with Brad Schmulian (who reached 108, his seventh first-class century at one of his most productive grounds) ultimately saw the Stags take a 187-run first innings lead, as well as the full eight first innings bonus points.
It took Neil Wagner to remove the pair, and late in the afternoon ND safely negotiated the 15 overs remaining before stumps, set to resume today’s third morning on 23/0, trailing overall by 164.
In Rangiora, clinical Canterbury is in pole position to snare valuable points against the Otago Volts.
The visitors are under the pump at 169/6 in their second innings, still trailing Canterbury overall by 45 runs, with just four wickets in hand at Mainpower Oval.
Having headed into this round in third spot (12 points behind ND), Canterbury can collect a maximum of 19 points should they complete a victory in this fourth of eight rounds, young Black Cap Zak Foulkes having taken seven wickets for the match, so far.
In Auckland, Wellington Firebirds captain Nick Kelly has continued his blistering form, raising his bat for the third time in the four matches so far this season, reaching 131 before he was run out at Kennards Hire Community Oval.
Kelly scored 161 and an unbeaten 101* in the second round against the Otago Volts; the Wellington Firebirds record for first-class centuries in a season stands at five. With 519 runs from seven innings, he is currently the 2024/25 championship’s second highest run-scorer, behind only Canterbury phenom Rhys Mariu (one run in front, with 520 runs from four innings).
With the Firebirds 318/9 in response to Auckland’s 329, the match is very much even stevens as it reaches its halfway mark, leg-spinning allrounder Peter Younghusband set to resume unbeaten on 35*, after having starred with his eight-wicket haul on the opening day’s play.
- SunLive
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