Chris Harris strikes again!

The 32-year-old Canterbury left-hander hit his second century of the summer in Gisborne today and finished 155 not out against Northern Districts. He has scored 399 runs in the State Championship and is still only halfway through the third game of the summer.

At a time when New Zealand's players are re-adjusting to playing two full rounds of State Championship matches, Harris has been one of the most consistent performers over the last five years.

As his scores have mounted, so too, has his dominance of the first-class scene, all this while his Canterbury team has been through one of the less impressive periods in its history.

After today's innings, which represented his 75th innings for Canterbury, in his 50th match, he had scored 3507 runs for the province at an average of 64.94.

That placed him at No 6 on the all-time Canterbury run scoring list. But his average is far and away the best with the next highest being the 39.67 achieved by former New Zealand captain Graham Dowling during his career.

In terms of his complete first-class career including matches for New Zealand, Conference Cricket and other selections he has played for, Harris passed 5000 runs in the innings and now sits on 5095 runs in 90 first-class matches, at an average of 46.31.

His efforts this year have seen him leap 17 places on the complete New Zealand list of run scoring.

Harris has now scored 11 first-class centuries, a figure only exceeded amongst current players by Stephen Fleming (18), Matt Horne (17), Nathan Astle (15), Mark Richardson (13), and equal with Chris Cairns (11).

Interestingly, the players with most runs during their first-class careers at the moment are: Cairns with 9147 runs and Fleming had 8935 when rain stopped today with him on 112 for Wellington against Central Districts.

For all his success with the bat however, it is hard to see Harris breaking back into the Test line-up. That has always been his wish but given the players coming through at the moment, it is difficult to see where, and under what circumstances, Harris could fit into the side.

What is encouraging is the sheer batting time he is getting before the New Zealand side is named to return to Australia for the tri-series with Australia and South Africa. At a time when many domestically bound New Zealand players have been fighting with the weather to get time in the middle, Harris has thrived.

His attitude towards run scoring has always been positive, and a player of his stature has to be most welcome in a scene which has seen too many players of similar vintage dropping out too soon.

As a key part of the one-day side, Harris still has plenty of cricket left in him and his demonstration of the virtues of application and determination have been sadly lacking among other sides during the years.

And the longer he plays the more of an impact he can make on the scoreboard.

He is already New Zealand's most capped One-Day International player with 188 appearances, he has taken most wickets with 173 and he is fifth on the all-time run scoring list behind, Martin Crowe, Astle, Fleming and John Wright.

© CricInfo