ROUND ONE | DAY ONE
Tuesday 18 November 2025
- Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
- Mainpower Oval, Rangiora
- Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington
Lachie Stackpole | PHOTOSPORT
Four centuries — three of them all from Otago at the Basin; one (and a near miss) from the Auckland Aces at Fitzherbert Park — saw New Zealand first-class cricketers hit the ground running on the opening day of the national Plunket Shield.
Otago had headed into this first-class campaign on the back off indifferent form in the first half of the one-day Ford Trophy (in which they've yet to get a win), and they were sent in by Wellington Firebirds captain Tom Blundell this morning as the four-dayers got underway.
But the southerners had turned form and fortune on its head by the end of the day, a record day with the bat.
Jack Boyle got a career best on Otago debut | PHOTOSPORT
The new-look Otago top three — openers Jack Boyle, Jacob Cumming and Tom Jones — all raised the bat as the team powered to an impressive 428/4 by stumps.
Boyle's 156 was his new career best, in his first red-ball appearance for Otago (having previously represented Canterbury and the Central Stags).
Otago's top three, Jack Boyle (Otago debut), Jacob Cumming (maiden 100) & Tom Jones (FC debut) all made 100s today. It's not unusual for Otago to be involved in this feat. Happened four times in NZ, all involving Otago - twice for and twice against. (Thanks Ric Finlay).
— Francis Payne (@FPayne100) November 18, 2025
Jacob Cumming reached a maiden 113, and first drop, the young first-class debutant Tom Jones — a grandson of former BLACKCAPS captain Jeremy Coney — added his maiden 119 as they all raised the bat.
It was just the second time in 100 seasons of the Plunket Shield that two batters on any sort of debut had made a century in the same innings (the previous occasion was for Wellington against Auckland at the Basin... way back in December 1922).
Jacob Cumming and Jack Boyle | PHOTOSPORT
Boyle and Cumming’s 210-run opening partnership didn’t manage to threaten their team’s longstanding first wicket record — a hefty 373, set in 1950/51 by the late, great Bert Sutcliffe and Les Watt.
The enduring legacy of Sutcliffe means Otago records are generally hard to beat.
But it was still a new Otago opening record for their matches against this particular foe, beating Mark Richardson’s and Matt Horne’s 193 in 2000/01 at the same ground.
Jones and Boyle then piled on 183 for the second wicket.
Two players scoring a maiden century in the same innings is also an exceptionally rare event in cricket, so when the 19-year-old Jones reached his own hundred — at 368/1, statisticians were sent to comb through the records again.
And, there's only ever been three other instances of all the top three batters scoring a hundred in the same Plunket Shield innings:
- Wellington (Michael Austin, John Aiken and Roger Twose) did in 1984
- Otago did it in 2002 (Robbie Lawson, Mohammad Wasim and Brendon McCullum)
- The Central Stags did it in Napier in 2019 (George Worker, Greg Hay and Will Young
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There have been other instances of three centuries in an innings in the competition, while four centuries in an innings is the Plunket Shield record, set by Auckland's Richard Jones, Gareth Hopkins, Anaru Kitchen and Colin de Grandhomme in 2009/10, at Colin Maiden Park in Auckland.
But back to today's cricket.
At a warm, humid Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North, the Aces had meanwhile opted to bat first and it soon was looking a good decision.
Clean striker Bevon Jacobs, who already has one century against the Stags, threatened to reach three figures as he raced to 94 off 115 balls — but he was caught by Ajaz Patel off another left-arm spinner, Jayden Lennox.
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But his younger teammate, 20-year-old Lachie Stackpole, strode out and smacked a maiden century anyway, at a ballistic pace off just 74 balls, in just 88 minutes, including seven sixes and six boundaries.
Sheesh. Stackpole reached 148 off just 112 balls: his maiden century in any format an absolute exhibition.
Lachie Stackpole | PHOTOSPORT
Ironically in Rangiora — a venue beloved by batters throughout the country, there were no centuries, but defending champion Northern Districts recovered from a rocky start to post 237 before they were all out in the last session.
Michael Rae | PHOTOSPORT
Canterbury paceman Michael Rae claimed 4/45 - which included his 200th first-class wicket when he dismissed Kristian Clarke.
Canterbury will resume tomorrow at 44/1 in reply, trailing by 193 runs, while further north all eyes will be on the weather with an 'atmospheric river' set to hose down across the North Island.
The Aces motored to 393/7 by stumps in Palmerston North while at the Basin, Otago can reflect on a day on which they posted 428/4 after having been sent in, nightwatchman Jarrod McKay joining Thorn Parkes just before stumps.
Play is scheduled to resume at 10.30am tomorrow and is free admission every day.
