2024/25
ROUND THREE
AUCKLAND ACES drew with CANTERBURY
Kennards Hire Community Oval, Auckland
28 November-1 December 2024
POINTS IN THIS ROUND:
Auckland Aces: 5
Canterbury: 5
Central Stags: 18
Wellington Firebirds: 6
Otago Volts: 7
Northern Districts: 8
A happy Chappy | PHOTOSPORT
SELECTED MILESTONES
Mark Chapman: 3,000 first-class career runs
Mark Chapman: seventh first-class century (sixth for Auckland Aces) and first double century (first-class)
Mark Chapman: career best score (276)
Bevon Jacobs: career best score (80)
Rhys Mariu: fourth first-class century
Henry Nicholls: 17th first-class century, sixth for Canterbury
All images: PHOTOSPORT or MBUTCHER
SNAPSHOT:
In Auckland there was a chance for cricket aficionados to see New Zealand's latest IPL player with Bevon Jacobs in the playing XI for the Aces in the longer format of the game.
His captain, Sean Solia, won the toss and elected to bat first in the big match against Canterbury, both teams able to make a significant move on the ladder in this key penultimate round before the mid-season interval.
But ultimately the match was too great a runfest for either side to pocket the big points, the match finishing still in the first innings, with Canterbury 446/3 at 6.40PM on the final day in reply to Auckland's 567/9 declared.
DAY ONE
The sun was blazing on a very warm day on the periphery of Eden Park as the big match got underway.
Coming into the match with a win and a loss, hosts the Auckland Aces were happy to be home, and no doubt happy to have BLACKCAP Mark Chapman back - with "Chappy" responding straight away with a quick century on the first afternoon.
After Solia had won the toss, the Aces had trundled to 83/2 by lunch in a fairly slow first session, mostly dominated by Canterbury's strong and relentless pace attack.
Defending the boundary is not always an easy job at the outer oval, but Canterbury made a good fist of it, Zak Foulkes dismissing rookie Dixit early doors with his dangerous swing, and Solia - who offered a simple catch behind off Gus McKenzie on 29 - at 37/2.
So Chapman had got started in his innings before the lunch interval, and after the break rode his luck a few times, in between some dleightfully crisp cover drives.
He carried on from 22* to post his seventh first-class century, with all but one of those having been scored for the Aces, reaching three figures off just 125 balls, with 13 boundaries and four sixes requiring the locals to send out a few search parties for the ball.
He and Will O'Donnell (above, PHOTOSPORT) put on a solid 172 runs for the third wicket, with O'Donnell continuing his good form and reaching 60 before Michael Rae castled him at 206/3.
Chapman just kept motoring, and brought up an unbeaten 150* off 171 balls shortly after tea, a big score for the Aces in development.
As his own innings grew, so did his predilection for the trademark dance down the wicket for a lusty pull shot, sending the ball sailing.
PHOTOSPORT
Chapman took his team past the 300 mark in the 84th over, collecting the third batting bonus as he did so, now in partnership with the tall Jacobs. By stumps he was unbeaten on 181*, after a largely fruitless afternoon for Canterbury in the field.
He had struck 23 boundaries and five sixes for the day, with batting partner Bevon Jacobs unbeaten on 53* overnight, in the second century partnership of the Aces' innings. The hosts would resume with a strong platform in the big match of 372/4.
DAY TWO
The applause was emphatic for Mark Chapman as he was clapped off at the end of a significant innings.
Mark Chapman's exquisite innings is the third highest score for Auckland Cricket in First Class cricket! Well done Chappy, it was epic to watch 👊 pic.twitter.com/6An4rXx3Fu
— Auckland Cricket (@aucklandcricket) November 29, 2024
The BLACKCAP had carried on from his already hefty overnight unbeaten score of 181* to reach a lofty 276 (with 28 boundaries and 10 sixes) to achieve the third highest individual score in Auckland's long, long first-class history.
- 290 - Bill Carson v Otago in Dunedin, 1936/37
- 281 - Colin Munro v Central Stags at Nelson Park, Napier, 2014/15
- 276 - Mark Chapman v Canterbury, Kennards Hire Community Oval (outer oval), 2024/25
- 269 not out - Colin Munro v Wellington, Kennards Hire Community Oval (outer oval), 2012/13
Chapman's scintillating double century came off 325 balls, constructed over more than eight and a half hours in all, as he provided almost half of the Aces' mammoth first innings total of 567/9, declared.
The McKenzie clan - injured Ace Jock, Canterbury's Angus and father & ND alumnus Grant - watch on | MBUTCHER
Oh, that's the 12th highest Auckland first-class total in history.
The bat-waving wasn't done for the day, however, as Canterbury began their reply in sweltering conditions, the mercury reaching 32 degrees.
Rhys Mariu helped himself to another ton | MBUTCHER
By the end of the afternoon, Rhys Mariu had already responded with his second century in the space of two games, having scored a double century in Nelson in the previous round against the Stags on his captaincy debut, the previous week.
By stumps he was unbeaten on 119*, alongside Scott Janett who was unbeaten on 87*, the 20-year-old rookie career-best score in an unbroken 211*-run stand for the first wicket.
It was a rough couple of days to be a bowler, yet they trailed the Aces still by some 356 in the first innings.
DAY THREE
Rain into the afternoon literally dampened proceedings, killing any remaining slim chance of an outright outcome in the match.
Scott Janett | MBUTCHER
Only eight overs of play was possible, and unfortunately for Janett that cost him the only wicket of the day, departing for 93 after he was trapped by Jordan Sussex.
The visitors headed in to the sheds at 238/1.
DAY FOUR
Wet weather again delayed the start of play on the final day, and cost the teams the entire first session, with play eventually getting started again after lunch in the damp squib.
Rhys Mariu | MBUTCHER
By tea, Rhys Mariu was in cooey of a potential second double century on the bounce, unbeaten on 160* as the batting practice carried on.
Chances of a result having fizzled out, the Aces had advanced their second innings to 317/1 after 73 overs of their first innings, so here we all were at tea on the last day.
The deficit had been whittled down to a mere 250, with nine still in hand.
Henry Nicholls had passed his half century by the time Canterbury chalked up their 300 on the board, now with a century stand for the second wicket as well.
Finally, something else other than run-plundering happened: Mariu dismissed, caught behind off a hard-working Danru Ferns for 185. He'd missed out by just 15 runs on back-to-bacl double tons, that surely would have sent statistician types into overdrive.
Now it was 374/2. He'd batted for almost six hours across the match, so slack could be cut.
The game carried on, Henry Nicholls now lining up three figures in his own sights. He quickly smashed a six to take him to the brink of it, just one more boundary away.
He was on 99* when Ferns picked up a second wicket, Matt Boyle missing out.
After what ultimately seemed an age on 99*, and with the clock approaching 5.30PM on the last arvo, Nicholls raised the bat for his ton - as well, and promptly retired not out on 103*.
On it went, though, ticking past 400 on the board.
Ultimately, the match was too great a runfest for either side to pocket the big points, the match finishing with Canterbury on 446/3 - at 6.40PM on the final day in reply to Auckland's 567/9 declared.
No doubt the Auckland attack relished the extra bowling practice after a long few days in the field.
