Finn Allen towed Auckland through to a seven-wicket win against Otago with a remarkable knock at Eden Park Outer Oval yesterday.
The punishing opener thrashed a record 168 off 110 balls to help the Aces overhaul the Volts' tally of 268 for seven.
It was the most runs scored in a list A innings by an Auckland player against Otago and just seven runs short of eclipsing the all-time Auckland record of 174 not out scored by Colin Munro against Canterbury in 2017-18.
No-one else in Auckland’s lineup was able to get hold of the bowling quite like Allen.
George Worker (18 from 30) and Will O’Donnell (16 from 43) looked like they were wading through deep mud by comparison.
Robbie O’Donnell (46 not out from 91) really laboured to get under way as well.
For most, it was not an easy pitch to conquer.
Allen had no problem timing the ball, though.
He brought up his second list A hundred off 86 balls and had to shake off bouts of cramp to get there.
He celebrated by lofting a series of deliveries from Dean Foxcroft over the rope on the leg side.
And the sixes kept coming. No-one was spared. It was brutal.
In all he clouted 13 fours and 11 sixes.
Earlier, Otago had suffered a series of setbacks.
Experienced opener Hamish Rutherford was trapped in front for one in the first over of the game.
Luke Georgeson (17) got set but was undone by a leading edge which ballooned to Worker.
The in-form Dale Phillips (6) was bowled by a cracking delivery from Danru Ferns, which nipped back and crashed into the top of off.
The Volts were in trouble at 53 for three.
Foxcroft and Thorn Parkes got the slow and steady rebuild under way.
Maybe the pair could have taken a few more risks. But the partnership gave the Volts a platform to launch from.
Foxcroft inched his way to 50 off 93 balls. He has had a quiet start to the season and buckled down.
Runs came a little easier for Parkes. He found more gaps.
The pair had added 73 by the time Foxcroft tried to loft a delivery from Adi Ashok into the leg side and was bowled for 62.
What the Volts needed was for someone to take the long handle to the attack and Llew Johnson came out and did just that.
He slogged, flogged and wogged his way to a 27-ball half century.
Auckland left-arm spinner Louis Delport felt the most pain. Johnson clobbered him for three consecutive sixes.
He leathered the first down the ground. The next went over long off. And the third, well, that went over midwicket.
His knock changed the momentum of the innings.
Parkes had kicked into gear as well. His scoop for six was some shot as well.
The partnership mounted rapidly. They put on 119 from 73 balls.
Johnson was eventually dismissed for 68 from 36 balls — a scoop shot went wrong.
Parkes went soon after for 78 from 93.
Ben Lockrose smashed an undefeated 16 from seven balls to help the Volts close in on 270. It was not enough, though.
Auckland passed the target with more than three overs to spare.
In the other two Ford Trophy games, Northern Districts (199 for four) beat Wellington (198) by six wickets in Hamilton, and Central Districts edged Canterbury by four wickets in New Plymouth.
At the national provincial A tournament in Taupo, Jamal Todd thumped 109 from 91 balls to help Otago A post 203 in a one-day match against Northern Districts. Tommy Clout took three for 28 to help bundle Northern out for 76.
OTAGO
H Rutherford lbw Gibson 1
L Georgeson c Worker b Solia 17
D Foxcroft b Ashok 62
D Phillips b Ferns 6
T Parkes c Solia b Harrison 78
L Johnson c Fletcher b Ferns 68
M Chu c Allen b Ferns 4
B Lockrose not out 16
T Muller not out 0
Extras (2b, 6lb, 8w) 16
Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) 268
Fall: 1-7, 2-40, 3-53, 4-126, 5-245, 6-247, 7-267.
Bowling: M Gibson 8-1-32-1 (2w), D Ferns 9-1-41-3, S Solia 9-1-50-1 (3w), R Harrison 6-0-43-1 (3w), A Ashok 10-1-39-1, L Delport 8-0-55-0.
AUCKLAND
F Allen lbw Muller 168
G Worker c Johnson b Duffy18
W O'Donnell run out (Phillips) 16
R O'Donnell not out 46
S Solia not out 7
Extras (3lb, 16w) 19
Total (3 wkts, 46.3 overs) 274
Fall: 1-39, 2-104, 3-267.
Bowling: M Bacon 7-0-33-0, J Duffy 10-0-53-1 (6w), L Georgeson 5.3-0-51-0, T Muller 10-1-53-1 (5w), B Lockrose 10-0-52-0 (1w), D Foxcroft 4-0-29-0.
Result: Auckland won by seven wickets.
