The fizz may well have gone out of the domestic men's first-class match on a flat Napier wicket by yesterday afternoon but it certainly didn't wipe the smile off Central Districts batsman Ben Smith's face.
That's because teammate and Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor offered him incentives, let's say, Smith couldn't overlook during the Budget Rentals Plunket Shield encounter at Nelson Park.
Ben Smith
"If I made 150 he said he'd give me three magnums [from Trinity Hill] and if I made 100 he'd give me one," the 24-year-old opening batsman revealed with a grin at Nelson Park after the Devon Hotel-sponsored Stags drew their season-opening first-class match against the SBS Bank Otago Volts.
Not only that but, in making a record 244 runs, Smith got to keep Taylor's personal bat that New Zealand's most experienced batsman lent to him to warm up and play with in the four-day affair.
Ross Taylor
"He said I could keep it if I made 100 runs so it's nice to receive gifts at the end of the game."
The Ruahine Motors Central Hawke's Bay batsman now has an enviable perch among CD greats with the highest individual innings.
Smith has shuffled up to the third rung, to sit behind retired New Plymouth opener Peter Ingram who holds the record with 247 against Northern Districts Knights in Hamilton in 2008-09 and also an unbeaten 245 against Wellington in the capital in 2009-10.
"Yeah, it's still sort of sinking in knowing what my job was to bat earlier on but you've still got to judge the pitch and move from there.
"It was obviously a bonus getting to 244 and a weird feeling because I feel quite content but at the same time very exhausted both mentally and physically spending four days in the park but, yes, the word is content for me right now."
In carving up his third first-class century, including 24 boundaries and a lusty six, the right-hand opening batsman frog leapt former Black Cap Mathew Sinclair's 243 not out against Otago in Napier in the 2007-08 season.
"Obviously it's something you always dream of and as a batsman it's your main target to score runs," said Smith, whose previous highest score was 133 not out.
He relished playing at Nelson Park and has a penchant for taking a shine to the Volts after scoring a ton against them here last summer.
"I think the pitch was really flat so it's not the sort of pitch you get so early in the season so you kind of cash in when you can."
A grinning Smith agreed the wicket was a "bowler's graveyard" but lauded his Stags bowlers for claiming 10 wickets as well as test seamer Doug Bracewell's five-wicket bag on day three.
While it didn't go the way of CD he said the predominantly youthful Heinrich Malan-coached side rigidly adhered to the game plan for the benefit of those refining their skills.
It was easy to lose sight of No5 batsman George Worker's 129 runs from 195 balls, including 16 boundaries, before Mark Craig rattled his furniture.
"Georgie batted extremely well for his 130-odd but I think it was a good overall team effort," Smith said after forging a record fourth-wicket partnership with left-hander Worker for CD v Otago. The previous partnership of 207 Glenn Sulzberger/Andrew Penn belonged to 1995-6 season at McLean Park, Napier. It also was Worker's highest first-class knock, improving on an unbeaten 120.
It was the first time the Stags passed the 600-run mark against all teams in the format after posting a first-innings 650-8 declared on Saturday, eclipsing the 594-8 declared v Auckland at Eden Park Outer Oval in 1995-96.
The Kruger van Wyk-captained Stags rewrote the books against Otago, considering their previous best against them was 526 in 1995-06 season at McLean Park, Napier.
Otago's's Neil Broom dug his toes in to deny CD victory, compiling his 16th first-class century to finish unbeaten on 131 as the visitors ended the match on 265-3. Smith said CD batsmen would take their confidence from here to Saxton Oval, Nelson, for their second round match against the Wellington Firebirds from this Friday. "It's our first game so if we stick to the blueprint and bowl to plan and bat the way we did then as a team we can look to improve as a young side."
Youngster Josh Clarkson, of Nelson, showed his mettle with two wickets on debut and a hurried 31 off 17 balls at No 9.
The Heinrich Malan-coached Stags will soldier on without Taylor and Bracewell who jet off for the tour of Australia tomorrow.
However, Wairarapa seamer Seth Rance returns from a week off to celebrate fatherhood, and Black Caps speed merchant Adam Milne returns from NZ A duties in Christchurch.
