Cricket: Hopkins smashes 109-year-old record

By GRAHAM REDDAWAY

Gareth Hopkins scored his third first-class century for Canterbury on the opening day of their match against Auckland at Colin Maiden Park - and along the way helped to break a record that had lasted 109 years.

The 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman combined with bowler Andrew Ellis in a stand of 115 and passed the ninth-wicket partnership of 104 for Canterbury against Auckland set in the 1897-98 season by W. C. H. Wigley and C. R. Clarke.

Ellis, who came in at 137 for eight, frustrated the Auckland bowlers for 96 minutes in scoring 19.

But he gave his partner so much of the strike that Hopkins reached his chanceless hundred from 107 balls.

He dominated the attack until he smashed the ball back to Brooke Walker, who took a fine caught-and-bowled above his head to complete the innings at 252, of which Frew contributed 113.

Until Hopkins came in on the very flat University pitch, Auckland had a tight rein on the match.

The first six wickets fell for 98, due as much as anything to the catching ability of the Aucklanders.

Gareth Shaw, the young medium-fast bowler, opened with a fruitless two-over spell, but came back 105 minutes into the match for a second stint and in four overs dismissed Rob Frew for 44, Rob Fulton for 21 and Aaron Redmond for a duck.

The left-handed Auckland opening pair, Mark Richardson and Tim McIntosh, cruised through Canterbury's opening attack, but Ellis got one through McIntosh's forward defensive stroke and had him leg-before.

The introduction of off-spinner Paul Wiseman into the attack worked when Fulton took nightwatchman Reece Young at short leg from a bat-pad chance.

Canterbury coach Michael Sharpe believed his side needed to score 300 considering the easy nature of the wicket.

They fell 48 runs short, but Auckland at 89 for two, still have plenty of work to do when the game resumes this morning.