Cricket: Dane Cleaver's quickfire ton leads Central Stags to victory while Sparks beat Hinds

Central Stags Dane Cleaver on his way to a match-winning century. Photosport

Central Stags wicketkeeper-batsman Dane Cleaver smashed one of New Zealand's fastest T20 centuries to finish unbeaten on 114 as the Stags hit the ground running in their first Super Smash game of the season.

Cleaver's maiden T20 century flew off just 48 balls (12x4, 4x6) and formed part of a new Stags second-wicket partnership record of 156 with Greg Hay - the 37-year-old first-class veteran playing his first T20 match since November 2014.

Hay quickly brushed off the cobwebs with a 46-ball 56 to contribute just the second T20 half century of his career.

The duo's second-wicket partnership shattered the previous Stags record of 111 set in 2010/11 by George Worker and Mathew Sinclair and, despite a flurry of late wickets that put Otago Volt Matt Bacon on a hat-trick, Cleaver's stunning ton ensured the Stags chased down the Volts' 184/4 with an over to spare as he hit the winning runs.

Earlier, Volts captain Hamish Rutherford had top-scored in his 100th T20 for his side, blasting 82 off 47 balls (4x4, 7x6) with support from fellow veteran Neil Broom (30).

It was a day for veterans all round, but the Volts' par tally would ultimately prove insufficient on a deck that had earlier seen sister team the Otago Sparks snatch a tight win over the Central Hinds.

Fastest NZ T20 Centuries (by balls)

40 Tim Seifert - Northern Knights (now Northern Brave) v Auckland Aces, Bay Oval 2017/18
45 Jamie How - Central Stags v Wellington Firebirds, Pukekura Park, 2011/12
45 Richard Levi - South Africa v NZ, Seddon Park, 2011/12
45 Luke Ronchi - Wellington Firebirds v Auckland Aces, Eden Park Outer Oval, 2017/18
46 Hamish Rutherford - Otago Volts v Central Stags, Pukekura Park, 2016/17
46 Glenn Phillips - NZ v West Indies, Bay Oval, 2020/21
48 Mahela Jayawardena - Central Stags v Otago Volts, Pukekura Park, 2016/17
48 Dawid Malan - England v NZ, McLean Park, 2019/20
48 Anton Devcich - Northern Knights v Central Stags, Pukekura Park, 2020/21
48 Dane Cleaver - Central Stags v Otago Volts, University of Otago Oval, 2021/22

Hamish Rutherford wasn't the only player marking a century of T20 appearances in the all-action Dunedin doubleheader.

Central Hinds wicketkeeper-batter Natalie Dodd was playing the 100th T20 of her overall career (29th T20 for the Hinds), but it would not be an occasion to remember for the top order veteran after a horror calling mix-up saw vice-captain Dodd and her captain Jess Watkin stranded mid-pitch, with Dodd given the marching orders.

The mistake cost the Hinds valuable momentum as they went after a middling Sparks total of 134/6 - that had been set in motion by a 52-ball 64 from Sparks captain Suzie Bates at the top, after Bates won the toss.

Bates and fellow White Fern Katey Martin had shared a strong second-wicket stand of 72, but a tidy 2-22 from Watkin, amid a sharp fielding performance from the Hinds, prevented the Sparks from capitalising on a good start.

Watkin's power with the bat (32 off 24 balls) saw the Hinds charge out to 46 without loss before the runout of Dodd triggered a chaotic period in the chase and pressure mounted on the Hinds at 61/5.

Sparks leg-spinner Sophie Oldershaw was in the thick of it as she delivered a career-best 3-16 off her four overs while Georgia Atkinson fought back with the bat for the Hinds with 37 off 24.

The control of White Fern Hayley Jensen at the death then sealed a tight and exciting eight-run win for the hosts.

Jensen took her best figures in Super Smash, snaring 4-20 including three wickets in the penultimate over, before Kate Ebrahim finished it off with a brace in the last two balls of the match.

The Hinds had stayed in with a chance until the final three deliveries of the game, but were ultimately dismissed for 126 on the last ball.