Round 3 Ford Trophy: Devon Hotel Central Stags 405/6 (Worker 194, How 64, Young 36, van Wyk 35) beat Canterbury 353 in 45.2 overs (Nicholls 70, Broom 83, Ellis 72, Astle 58; Mathieson 5-66 off 9) by 52 runs at Aorangi Oval, Timaru
In the form of his life, Devon Hotel Central Stags opening blade George Worker smashed the second highest one-day total in New Zealand domestic List A history, a magnificent 194 off 145 balls at Timaru’s Aorangi Oval.
It was Worker’s second century in four days (having made exactly 100 in the Stags’ round two match) and gives the tall 25-year-old left-hander consecutive scores of 71, 100 and 194 in the competition for an average of 121.66.
The stats and records tell the story on their own — 10 sixes, 14 fours. When he was caught with three balls remaining in the innings, he was just one decent hit away from becoming only the second man to make a Ford Trophy double century.
Remarkably, the only man to have done that was his top of the order partner Jamie How (who hit the New Zealand record of 222 in 2012/13). They had shared a rollicking opening stand of 86 after How was dropped when he was yet to score, How operating at strike rate of 175 before he was caught for 64.
Supported by a string of teammates — who got useful starts, but spent some time simply admiring the show-stealing performance at the other end — Worker’s innings gathered pace the longer it went on.
His strike rate was resting just under the run a ball rate when he brought up his century, but with seven overs to go he kicked up a gear and slaughtered Hamish Bennett for three sixes and two fours off a single over, before bringing up his 150 off 129 balls. His final three sixes came in the closing overs, bringing the possibility of a rare double ton within reach — but he was caught going for it one last time, Henry Nicholls relieved to get under one off Andy Ellis.
Ultimately Worker had accounted for just under half the runs in the Stags’ daunting total of 405/6 and, until his dismissal, the ground record of 410/5, set in 2009/10, had been under imminent threat — it was the second highest total at the park.
His 194 easily exceeded his previous best Ford Trophy score, which was an unbeaten 129 for Canterbury two seasons ago, against his current team before he returned to the Stags. His previous best for the Stags had been 109 against the SKYCITY Northern Knights in 2010/11 and two of the Stags batsmen now own the three top scores ever seen in domestic New Zealand List A, with How’s 177 made alongside Worker at Pukekura Park on Saturday now relegated to third.
Needless to say, the Stags were in the box seat to win their return encounter with Canterbury — but the victory did not come without a fight. The hosts reached 353 on the back off attacking half-centuries from form horses Henry Nicholls (70 off 58), Neil Broom (83 off 66, for consecutive Ford Trophy half-centuries), and a late charge from the cool heads of Andy Ellis (72 off 49) and Todd Astle (58 off 35).
Fighting like pinned rats, they had kept in touch with a required run rate of just over 10 an over as they headed for death or glory in the runfest. But losing Ellis just shy of the 40th over — caught by Worker, who else — was a major blow, and gutsy Astle’s wicket with five overs to go was effectively the final straw.
Canterbury were consigned to their third straight loss — and despite getting up to an impressive 353 in the 46th over, they had still lost it by a whopping 52 runs. Young quick Andy Mathieson meanwhile completed a memorable day out for the Stags by taking 5-66 off his nine overs, his maiden List A five-wicket bag.
