Century-maker George Worker. Photo / File
When Jamie How smashes records first up and then follows it up with a four-ball duck things can become quite dicey.
But then, some will argue, that's cricket - even if the Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags lose.
Yesterday it was just as well that opener George Worker picked up where How left off, scoring exactly 100 runs from 109 balls, including 10 boundaries and three sixes, in CD's agonising 13-run loss to the Northern Districts Knights in New Plymouth.
It was the left-hander's fourth Ford Trophy one-day century but there was a sense of no closure for him.
"It's bloody disappointing if I'm going to be honest about it," Worker said last night, accepting someone always needs to hunker down every time the opposition posted a 297-9 in 50 overs.
"It was a good contribution, I guess, at the end of the day when you look at the scores.
"But to lose by 13 runs is a little bit deflating," he said, feeling the loss of his wicket was somewhat premature.
"I still had plenty to do when I reached 100 and I did not see the boys home."
By the time the Manawatu cricketer left the majestic but compact Pukekura Park, after Ben Smith's 31 runs, CD required a run a ball.
No4 William Young ran the gauntlet with aplomb, contributing 65 from 59 balls to the cause in a plausible run chase.
"Young batted really well," Worker said.
Did the Heinrich Malan-coached Stags bleed a few too many runs?
The 25-year-old begged to differ, believing it was always a tall order at a park with short boundaries which allowed bowlers little room for straying from their line and length.
Swing bowler Seth Rance, of Wairarapa, got both the openers for loose change (16 runs each) to finish with 3-45 although Bevan Small, coming in for Black Caps speed merchant Adam Milne, was marginally more frugal with 2-44 in ND's innings where no one claimed a maiden over.
Andrew Mathieson took 3-67, claiming his best List A figures from his previous 2-49.
Test seamer Doug Bracewell took some stick, finishing wicket-less for 81 runs from his 10 overs.
The Knights joined the milestone party with No6 Mitchell Santner stopping the top-order rot with 86 runs after Jono Hickey, 67 runs, arrested the slide. Both batsmen's previous best scores were 61.
Young also went in the record books, improving on his previous best of 26 runs.
Boult took 3-64 but Santner was ND's most frugal with 2-39. New Zealand leggie Ish Sodhi was the only bowler to claim a maiden.
- The Auckland Aces are two from two after crushing the Canterbury Kings by 193 runs at Eden Park outer oval.
Having restricted Canterbury to 199 in 45.3 overs - Henry Nicholls with 60 and Neil Broom 54 the key contributors - the Aces overhauled the total in 32.3 overs.
- The Otago Volts, on the back of a maiden century from Nathan McCullum, edged out the Wellington Firebirds by 16 runs at Queenstown.
McCullum's 119 off 109 balls and Iain Robertson's 62, revived Otago's innings, pushing them to 8-286 after teetering at 65-4. The Wellingtonians got to 9-276, with former international James Franklin marooned on an unbeaten 98.
Auckland host Otago at Eden Park on Friday, the same day Canterbury play CD in Timaru and ND host Wellington at Mt Maunganui on Thursday.
Points: Auckland 10, Otago 9, CD 5, ND 4, Canterbury 0, Wellington 0.
It would probably have brought a smile of satisfaction on the face of CD cricketer Dane Cleaver yesterday.
The sight of his younger brother, Bryn, snaffling a $2000 catch at cow corner from the bat of William Young would have made him the happiest 12th man in round 2 of the Ford Trophy limited-overs competition.
The CD age-group player from Palmerston North caught the white ball in CD's green colours and yelled out the name of the team naming sponsors, Devon Hotel.
"He was moving around the park to catch the ball so he deserved it," hotel owner Peter Tennent said last night.
Tennent said there was a raucous cheer from the crowd of about 2000 fans when Bryn, 20, got his mitts around the elusive projectile at the entrance end of Pukekura Park, New Plymouth.
"He missed one earlier on when the ball went over the fence so it was a fantastic effort from the young lad."
The sponsor has signed the next $2000 cheque for the Stags' next home game against the Wellington Firebirds at Saxton Oval, Nelson, on January 5.