2024/25
ROUND FIVE
WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS defeated OTAGO VOLTS by 171 runs
Cello Basin Reserve
4-8 March 2025
POINTS IN THIS ROUND:
Wellington Firebirds: 20
Otago Volts: 5*
Northern Districts: 17*
Canterbury: 5
Central Stags: 6
Auckland Aces: 4
* includes penalty for slow over rate
SELECTED MILESTONES
Nick Kelly: 9th first-class century
Peter Younghusband: 1,000 first-class career runs
Matt Bacon: 2nd first-class five-wicket bag
Sam Mycock: maiden first-class half century
Dale Phillips: career best first-class bowling (2/47)
Mo Abbas: career best first-class bowling (3/22)
Llew Johnson (above, PHOTOSPORT): maiden first-class half century
Jarrod McKay: 50 first-class wickets
SNAPSHOT:
And the beat goes on! Another first-class match, another Nick Kelly ton. The Firebirds' left-hand run machine now has four - just one away from equalling Matthew Bell's Wellington record for most first-class hundreds in a season.
More precious to Kelly, his red-ball captain Tom Blundell and the rest of the defending champion Wellingtonians was taking an outright win, however. They executed the only full-pointer of the fifth round to shore up their defence and leave the Otago Volts still frustratingly winless, with three rounds left in the season.
The impressive victory elevated the Firebirds from fourth to second on the ladder, behind Northern Districts who meanwhile reclaimed the championship lead in Hamilton. The Otago Volts were later deducted a point for a slow over rate, adding to the pain of a loss and Thorn Parkes being left stranded on 97*.
PHOTOSPORT
DAY ONE
Rain devoured the first session in the capital where the Plunket Shield defending champion was hosting the cellar-dwelling Otago Volts.
Once proceedings got the chequered flag after lunch, Firebirds captain Blundell got sent in...and then sat back to watch run machine Nick Kelly blast yet another century this season.
PHOTOSPORT
It was Kelly's fourth in the 2024/25 Plunket Shield, putting him second-equal on the Firebirds’ list for most first-class tons in a single summer.
NICK KELLY'S 2024/25 PLUNKET SHIELD CENTURIES
- 161 and 101 not out v Otago Volts at University of Otago Oval, Round 2
- 131 v Auckland Aces at Kennards Hire Community Oval, Round 4
- 134 v Otago Volts at Cello Basin Reserve, Round 5
Kelly went to stumps unbeaten on 118* in his unbroken century stand with Peter Younghusband (58*) that took the hosts to 297/7 by stumps.
DAY TWO
Matt Bacon's second first-class five-wicket bag (5/69, below) put a spring in the step of the Volts who dismissed the Firebirds for 355 at the Cello Basin Reserve, Kelly having continued his extraordinary run of centuries before falling to the relentless paceman on 134.
PHOTOSPORT
The Volts would head into Day 3 in the capital at 265/7 in their reply, trailing by just 90 in the first innings, with Thorn Parkes unbeaten on 86 not out.
Parkes was batting at five, and helped his side recover from a destructive early assault from Mo Abbas, the 21-year-old left-armer continuing his good all-round season as he snaffled 3/22.
The Volts had picked up six first innings points by stumps, and the defending champion Firebirds seven with more on the cards.
DAY THREE
The match was well advanced by the end of the day, destined for a result after the Volts' first innings came to a halt still 72 runs behind the team they had sent in.
Blundell went on to declare the host's second innings at 316/8 for a 388-run overall lead, the Volts needing 389 in the last innings but losing an early wicket - opener Jacob Cumming falling to paceman Liam Dudding - to be 20/1 by the close of play.
DAY FOUR
The Otago Volts would require a further 369 on the last day, while the Firebirds required nine wickets.
Senior Firebirds allrounder Logan van Beek (4/56, below) and wrist spinner Peter Younghusband (3/83) favoured the latter scenario, scything through the Volts' second innings to dismiss the visitors for just 217.
PHOTOSPORT
Llew Johnson contributed 80 of those runs, trying in vain to salvage the draw, and finished unbeaten with his career best first-class score. But he ran out of partners as the visitors were comprehensively outplayed. The next highest score was Parkes's 30.
The 171-run victory delivered the full 20 points to the capital side, and three rounds now remain in the national first-class championship to decide the New Zealand men's first-class champion for 2024/25.
The next matches are in Rangiora, Alexandra and Auckland from Thursday, 13 March 2025.
