Canterbury pummelled more than 400 runs on the opening day of its Plunket Shield match against Otago yesterday.
Some of the pain came from the expected quarters at Hagley Oval. Black Caps trio Tom Latham (32), Henry Nicholls (72) and Daryl Mitchell (56) all made solid contributions.
But it was Leo Carter and Cameron Fletcher who combined in a devastating pincer movement.
Carter clobbered an undefeated 140 and Fletcher’s onslaught was only marginally less brutal. He whacked 114 and is also undefeated.
A deflated Otago looked up at the scoreboard to see a monstrous total of 435 for five at stumps.
Carter has a first-class double hundred to his name, so he will be eyeing another when the match resumes this morning.
Fletcher has already eclipsed his previous best of 108.
The Volts will be cursing their decision to field first.
But probably the best way to run through a Canterbury batting line-up featuring Latham, Nicholls and Mitchell was to bowl first and pray.
There was some earliesh reward. Ken McClure (15) top-edged a pull shot and Max Chu took a terrific catch running backwards and looking over his shoulder.
Travis Muller made the initial breakthrough and later bowled captain Cole McConchie before he could become established.
But Michael Rae took the prized wicket of Latham. He found the edge of the classy left-hander’s bat.
Canterbury was teetering a little at 57 for three.
The next big challenge for Otago was to break the partnership of Nicholls and Mitchell and quickly.
But how? Mitchell is averaging a shade more than 75 in test cricket and Nicholls is the ICC No8-ranked batsman.
Otago did not have an immediate answer either.
The pair put on 117 for the fourth wicket to steer their side clear of rocks.
It took a very decent delivery from left-arm wrist spinner Michael Rippon to break the partnership.
He got it to turn and Mitchell provided the assist courtesy of an inside edge on to the stumps. Nicholls followed shortly after.
He was run out. Carter called him through for a quick single but Anaru Kitchen got his throw in nice and tight for Chu to do the rest.
It was the opening the Volts were looking for but Carter and Fletcher swung the door shut.
The pair went on a hitting spree following the tea break. The game more closely resembled a Super Smash fixture than a sedate four-day match.
Carter pulled a delivery from Muller to the boundary to raise his third first-class century.
It was a crushing hundred featuring 17 fours and a six and came off 89 balls.
Fletcher brought up the milestone 20 minutes before stumps.
It was the 28-year-old’s fifth first-class hundred. He took 113 balls to reach the mark and clubbed 14 fours and a six.
The Volts were able to squeeze only eight overs out of spearhead Jacob Duffy. He has picked up a muscle strain in his left leg and will not be able to bowl for the rest of the match.
Day one of the games between Northern Districts and Auckland at Cobham Oval and between Central Districts and Wellington at McLean Park was rained off.
