Hamish Marshall (who made his highest score) reached fifty off 22 balls in 20 minutes while Neal Parlane took 26 minutes and 23 balls. Interestingly neither player bettered Andre Adams' 20-ball fifty scored in authentic circumstances for Auckland against Otago in 1997/98 (on that occasion, Adams had come in to bat facing a pair in his first-class debut).
Marshall, who finished with 83 off 41 balls in 34 minutes, was on target to score the fastest hundred in New Zealand first-class cricket - certainly in terms of time. The record is held by Lance Cairns who reached his hundred off 45 balls in 52 minutes for Otago against Wellington at Lower Hutt in 1979/80 and Barry Cooper (52 minutes and 66 balls) for Northern Districts against Canterbury at Gisborne in 1986/87.
Andrew Hore (5-0-77-1) bowled for the first time in a first-class match while Matt Horne (7-0-68-2) took his first wicket in first-class cricket despite having being used as New Zealand's first change bowler in legitimate circumstances in the First Test against Sri Lanka at Dunedin as far back as 1996/97. Mark Richardson (10.4-0-136-3) completed the bowling lineup.
The most expensive over was Hore's fifth (20 runs) while Horne and Richardson both somehow managed an over where only three singles were scored.
Paul Wiseman created history when he was called into the New Zealand one-day side while he was playing for Otago in their Shell Trophy game against Canterbury at Alexandra. He became the first player to be withdrawn from and replaced in a first-class game in New Zealand on three occasions. Mark Priest, Chris Harris and Heath Davis have been substituted twice in first-class matches.
As if that was not enough, there were further dramas when Wiseman was included in the Otago team to play Northern Districts at Dunedin the day after the final one-dayer against Zimbabwe at Auckland. Because of flight schedules, Wiseman was absent when the match began at Carisbrook and twelfth man Nathan McCullum (who had replaced Wiseman in the previous game) took the field when play started.
Shayne O'Connor then broke down in the ninth over of the day and just as Otago's thirteenth man, Albion club player Lachlan Weir, was about to get onto the field, Wiseman arrived, took the field, and McCullum stayed on as substitute for O'Connor.
Even more bizarre events were to follow in this game with regard to substitute fielders. On the last day, Otago had intended to bat on, having established a small lead overnight. During warmups, however, both Chris Gaffaney and Kerry Walmsley suffered injuries.
With play about to start, Otago thus found themselves without both O'Connor and Walmsley and decided that their chances of bowling Northern out were now so slim that a declaration was their best option. The absurd situation then arose of the ten minute break between innings taking place at the scheduled time for the commencement of play.
Although Gaffaney was able to field (his back injury affected his batted later on) Otago were now down to just ten fielders. Lachlan Weir, however, was destined to miss out again as Lee Germon (with 99 first-class appearances to his credit) had just arrived at the ground and went on as emergency fielder.
Gaffaney and Walmsley, by the way, were not the only players to suffer injury in warmups during the week. Carl Bulfin missed Wellington's Shell Cup match against Otago after sustaining a groin injury just prior to the game.
There were plenty of Shell Cup highlights in the latest two rounds, although not for Central Districts who had their fourth match (out of eight) abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Roger Twose and Stephen Fleming amassed the highest partnership in Shell Cup history when they put on an unbeaten 244 for Wellington against Otago. The highest partnerships for any wicket in the Shell Cup are:
