Kyle Jamieson's barnstorming start to the Plunket Shield season gathered pace, literally, as he snagged a spectacular hattrick at Eden Park's Outer Oval.
He also scored for his side a case of Two Degrees rose, after Will Somerville, whose parents own the Central Otago winery, told his teammates he'd have one sent up if Jamieson could turn two wickets in two balls into three from three.
Ripping through the meat of Central Districts' normally reliable middle order, Jamieson put his Auckland side into a strong position by having former Black Cap Tom Bruce caught in the slips by Martin Guptill, ripping out wicketkeeper batsman Dane Cleaver's stumps and then cartwheeling the off stump of allrounder Brad Schmulian as he left a ball that jagged back off the seam.
"I told mid-off I was just going to bowl a big inny (in-swinger) to try to make him play," Jamieson said of hattrick ball. He got the first bit right but didn't entice a shot from Schmulian. It didn't matter.
The in-ducker is new to Jamieson's arsenal and if early results are anything to go by, it'll be an important part of his repertoire.
"I tried to get a little bit greedy and bring it back and was lucky to hit the sticks a couple of times," he deadpanned.
CD, who were well positioned at 91-3 chasing Auckland's paltry first innings of 167, were suddenly in tatters at 91-6.
They were eventually dismissed for 150. At tea on the second day of four, Auckland were 117-2, a lead of 134, with Glenn Phillips unbeaten on 55.
Jamieson, 25, made his test debut for New Zealand last season and made an immediate impact, taking nine wickets against India across two tests, including 5-45 at Christchurch.
Over the winter, he worked on attacking the crease a bit harder in his run up. He is also in as good a physical shape as he's ever been, having spent a rare offseason working on his fitness.
"I want to create a bit more momentum and be more efficient and effective for longer periods," Jamieson said.
Although he hasn't bowled with a speed gun yet this season the speed appears to be up as a result, as does the energy and intensity, as can be seen by his wicket celebrations.
"I got a bit carried away in the moment," he said of his exuberant celebrations.
In admittedly bowler-friendly conditions, Jamieson opened the Plunket Shield season against Otago with figures of 5-39 and 3-6 and troubled all batsmen with his pace and bounce.
The more accomplished CD side have also found it tough.
Just before stumps on day one, Ross Taylor flailed at one outside off stump and was caught at first slip by Phillips, and he has followed up with this morning's hattrick.
In a statistical oddity, the ball that preceded the hattrick was a top-edged hook for six, giving the over a curious dot, dot, six, wicket, wicket, wicket sequence.
With the last ball of his 16th over, Jamieson achieved another five-for, inducing Doug Bracewell to drag a wide ball back onto his stumps. Compared to his other wickets, it was anticlimactic, but it counted all the same.