Cricket: Teenager nails first ton

Tauranga teenager Kane Williamson brought up his maiden first-class century in style yesterday as he slashed a six over backward point at the Eden Park outer oval.

The 18-year-old in his first full season at this level made 111 as Northern Districts scored 306 off 87 overs in their first innings of the State Championship match.

Auckland were 13 without loss at the close of the first day.

Williamson showed remarkable maturity, coming in when ND were 88 for three and being eighth out with the total on 283. He hit 12 fours and four sixes off 144 balls in his 219-minute innings.

But if the boundary-hitting was impressive, he also showed great patience and judgment as more experienced players fell to rash shots. He brought up his 50 with a six, but had 15 consecutive singles as he moved through the 80s and 90s. He was finally caught at deep midwicket off leg-spinner Tarun Nethula.

Williamson's previous highest first-class score was 98 against Canterbury at Seddon Park in December.

Northern were put in by Auckland on a pitch tinged with green, and when openers Brad Wilson and Hamish Marshall put on 59 it looked a dubious decision. But some careless shots saw three wickets fall.

Auckland appeared to have struck a decisive blow when Nethula pitched a perfect wrong-un two balls before lunch to beat Michael Parlane's defensive shot after he raced to 34, leaving ND tottering at 121 for four.

But Williamson combined with Peter McGlashan (27) and Bruce Martin (24) to build a respectable total.

The Auckland bowling was a mixed bag. Daryl Tuffey was the spearhead with two for 41 off 19 overs and Lance Shaw was well rewarded with three for 57 off 17. But there were too many boundary balls from the others.