More history was created at the Allied Nationwide Finance Basin Reserve on Sunday.
Both individually and together, Luke Woodcock and Malaesaili Tugaga entered the record books on day two of the Wellington Firebirds’ round five Plunket Shield match against the Central Stags.
The pair put on 225 for the ninth wicket, carrying the score from 215 for 8 to 440 for 9, a Wellington ninth wicket partnership and the third highest ever for that wicket in domestic cricket in New Zealand.
Tugaga’s 103 was his maiden first-class century and highest in all cricket, surpassing the 100 not out he once scored at secondary school. He became the fourth Wellington player to score their maiden first-class century in the Plunket Shield this year, after Cameron Merchant, Joe Austin-Smellie and Stewart Rhodes.
Tugaga’s 103 was the highest score by a Wellington number 10 batsman, surpassing AWS (William) Brice’s 69 against Otago in 1927/28. Brice also once hit 70 batting at number 11 for Wellington.
Woodcock’s 220 not out was his fourth first-class century, more than doubling his previous best of 106 against Auckland.
Woodcock, who came to the crease at number five and with the Firebirds in peril at 5 for 3, batted for 567 minutes and faced 400 balls in an innings of superb concentration, steady defence and assured attack.
His 220 becomes the seventh highest first-class innings by a Wellington batsman in first-class cricket ever, after John Reid’s 296 and 283, current skipper Matthew Bell’s 265 against this same Stags side two years ago, Robert Vance’s 254, Jesse Ryder’s 236 and Fred Midlane’s 222 not out.
Their 225-run ninth wicket partnership surpassed Wellington’s previous best for that wicket, 127 between Frank Mooney and RA Buchan against Auckland in 1943/44.
Of note, the record partnership against Wellington for this wicket was set by current Firebirds batsman Neal Parlane and Daryl Tuffey who stroked 188 together in 1999-2000 for the Northern Knights.
The highest ninth wicket partnership in New Zealand domestic first class cricket was set in 1953/54 between Harry Cave and Ian Leggat who swung their bats together for 239 runs for Cetnral Districts against Auckland. Leggat scored 142 not out in that innings, which is the highest score in New Zealand domestic cricket by a batsman at number 10.
The second highest ninth wicket partnership was set in 2003/04 in a New Zealand A v Sri Lanka A match in 2003/04 of 209 between Paul Wiseman and Bruce Martin. Number 10 batsman Martin scored 113 not out.
The Firebirds declared following the fall of Tugaga’s wicket, after him and Woodcock had further thwarted the Stags bolwing for 42 overs on Sunday.
Central were 136 for 2 at stumps on day two.
