Cricket: Easy for Ryder as a double century leaves CD burnt

The third best fourth-wicket partnership of all time saw Wellington No 4 batsman Jesse Ryder score a double century to put Wellington in a dominant position after day two of their State Championship match against Central Districts at Palmerston North.

Playing against his former province, Ryder scored 236 off 398 balls in a stay of close to eight hours to help see Wellington through to a mammoth first innings score of 587 for eight.

Wellington, after winning the toss yesterday, has batted for two full days, sapping the energy from Central in the heat at Fitzherbert Park on a docile but slow turning pitch. Neal Parlane played a supporting role yesterday but helped himself to a fine century - 136 off 244 balls in 4 1/2 hours. It was Parlane's second century of the summer and Ryder's second in first-class cricket.

Their partnership of 310 was a Wellington record for the fourth wicket, the third best of all time for any wicket in New Zealand and the fourth highest individual innings for Wellington.

Ryder looked to be sailing towards a triple century when he skied a ball from seamer Greg Hegglun to Brendon Diamanti who took the catch.

After their mammoth stay, Hegglun removed both men within three balls after taking the new ball, Parlane departing to a slick catch by wicketkeeper Bevan Griggs.

It was an uncharacteristic innings by Ryder, who started carefully rather than his customary swashbuckling self. Only when he reached his double century did he let rip, especially at left-arm spinner Regan West. Ryder had 32 fours and one six to Parlane's 16 fours and four sixes.

Central finally got some reward for two days of slog in the field by seeing off Chris Nevin, Sam Fairley and then Mark Gillespie off the last ball of the day from Mathew Sinclair's solitary over.

Wellington, though, is likely to bat on tomorrow morning, intent on putting Central out of the game and preserving its second place in the championship and thus a berth in the final against Auckland.