Records tumbling and sixes flying seem to be requirements whenever the Devon Hotel Central Stags and SKYCITY Northern Knights meet in the Ford Trophy.
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Today, it was Pukekura Park’s turn to play host to some record-breaking hitting: 31 sixes were smashed, the Stags beating the Knights by 81 runs.
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Yet what seems like a fairly regulation win was anything but — with a bunch of twists and turns thrown in to make an absorbing match.
The Stags chose to bat first on the beloved New Plymouth ground and took apart an inexperienced bowling attack.
With four frontline bowlers (Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi) all on BLACKCAPS duty, and Scott Kuggeleijn out injured with a sidestrain, it was always going to be tough for the Knights bowlers to deal with a talent-laden Stags batting lineup.
The home top order started solidly, compiling 40 from their first 10 overs, then shone as opener George Worker (a bedazzling 62 off 81 balls) and first drop Jesse Ryder (58 from 42) formed an 88-run stand to set up the innings.
Jesse Ryder looks for the terraces at Pukekura. Photo courtesy of Gary Hermansson
Once the current and former BLACKCAPS departed, two ones-to-watch took over: Taranaki locals Will Young and Tom Bruce bludgeoning a game-defining 147-run stand from just 88 deliveries to set up a huge total — and a new fourth wicket record for the Stags against all teams, the previous having been 132 set between Mathew Sinclair and Jacob Oram at Eden Park Outer Oval in 2003/04.
The Stags looked like they could even threaten 400 for a while and, at 302/3 after 42 overs, both Bruce and Young seemed on course for centuries.
Tom Bruce. NZC
Unfortunately for the pair and the home crowd, each of the electric innings ended in quick succession, captain Young the top-scorer with 85 from 57 balls and Bruce with a typically belligerent 71 from 45. The duo had combined for nine of the Stags' 17 sixes as the hosts finished at 363/8.
Every Knights bowler went at more than six runs per over. Nobody was spared, although Bay of Plenty seamer Tony Goodin did take four wickets on Ford Trophy debut.
Northern were always going to have to flay the bat from the get-go in response, and their hopes were realistically dashed within the first over with Dean Brownlie and Tim Seifert both falling victim to Seth Rance’s seam bowling.
The wickets kept tumbling as none of the top order could pass 30: at 125/7, an all-time record for biggest defeat was a possibility.
However, Daryl Mitchell – dropped down into the middle order two games earlier– had the best innings of his career to light up the Knights' innings.
The son of new USA Eagles rugby coach John made 120 from 107 balls, crushing seven fours and eight sixes in a stunning display.
He joined forces with number 10 batsman Jimmy Baker and the pair made history, setting a remarkable new Ford Trophy record ninth-wicket stand.
Their 117-run partnership eclipsed the 102 that had been set by Graeme Aldridge and Anurag Verma in Hamilton in 2013, when the Knights were asked to chase CD’s memorable record of 422, eventually giving the Stags a huge fright before being bowled out for 398.
Much like their old teammates, Mitchell and Baker’s partnership created a few nerves in the Stags camp, before Mitchell was finally dismissed to end slim hopes of a miracle victory.
Baker ended with a career-best 48 as the Stags eventually wrapped up the win to sit third on the ladder with 11 points.
The Knights remain in fifth on five points after their third loss in four games. They will host the SBS Bank Otago Volts in Whangarei on Sunday (round five of eight) while the Stags host the Firebirds at Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North.
