Cricket: Baby Sail opens gate for 'Babu's' ton

There were so many records set or threatened on the third day of the Shell Trophy cricket match between Auckland and Wellington at Eden Park yesterday that it might take statisticians an age to unravel it all.

But what they will not able to file will be the inspiration for the day's events provided by 17-day-old Nicholas Sail, the son of Auckland coach Tony Sail and his wife, Pip, who doubles motherhood with being the team's physiotherapist.

Tony Sail had a problem on Sunday night: who to send in first thing the next morning with skipper Blair Pocock. The team list supplied had Tama Canning, Kyle Mills and Brooke Walker as the batting order.

At 3am yesterday Nicholas woke his dad, who still had the problem on his mind, and an answer was nowhere in sight. But while he was nursing his son back to sleep the solution struck him: Brook Walker, the baby-faced member of the team, who have nicknamed him Babu.

A chat with Pocock at the ground, a word with Walker - and to the amazement to everyone, including Wellington, the 23-year-old legspinner was out taking guard.

No one could guess then how successful of Sail's inspiration would prove to be.

Rain curtailed play for 82 minutes shortly after the start and it had the effect of curbing the offspin of Jeetan Patel, who had been so lethal the day before.

Pocock was dominant from the start of the innings and although it was steady-as-you-go batting he was soon past his previous highest first-class score of 134 not out. He was finally dismissed when he was caught behind by Scott Golder from a tired shot for 167.

Walker, gaining confidence, raced past his own best score of 54 and after Canning went for five, Kyle Mills, like Pocock a clubmate from Howick Pakuranga, joined him for a thoroughly entertaining partnership that realised 172 before drizzle brought a close to the day's play.

Meanwhile, Walker had scored his maiden first-class century, Mills, with 82, had easily gone past his previous best of 45, the best eighth-wicket partnership for Auckland against all sides, 189, set in 1938-39 by Carson and Matheson, was under threat, and they were within seven of the best Auckland score against Wellington, 522.

But while the Wellington field seemed to droop as the afternoon went by, one figure among them stood tall after a marathon effort.

Patel, the 19-year-old, had opened the attack and bowled unchanged until mid-afternoon, by which time he had completed 59 overs, 32 of them during the day's play, and had a bag of five for145.

But amid all the record-breaking, Nicholas Sail slept on, oblivious to his role in the game. No doubt, one day he might be told.