Styris takes to the record books, and Otago

A famous innings of 212 not out by Scott Styris dominated the third day of the State Championship match between Northern Districts and Otago at WestpacTrust Park, Hamilton.

Resuming on an overnight score of 127 not out - already his career-best - Styris ravaged the Otago attack for two hours before ND declared at 460/7. The visitors fought back in the second half of the day, at the end of which they were 176/2, needing a further 166 to make ND bat again.

Styris did not so much rewrite the record book, as put it through the shredder.

It was the highest individual score by an ND batsman in the 46 seasons that the association has been in existence, beating Graeme Hick's 211 against Canterbury in 1988/89.

The partnership of 191 between Styris and Robbie Hart was the best for the ND sixth wicket, surpassing the 180 between Hart's brother Matthew and Shane Thomson against Canterbury in 1992/93.

The 10 sixes hit by Styris have been bettered only three times in New Zealand, by Dipak Patel (12 for Auckland v ND in 1991/92) and John R Reid (15 for Wellington v ND in 1962/63) and most recently by Nathan Astle in Saturday's Test innings when he hit 11 sixes. Styris also struck 14 fours in his 236-ball innings.

Styris and Hart set out to dominate from the outset. Thirty-seven runs came from the first five overs. A back-foot cover drive off David Sewell and an upper-cut six off Kerry Walmsley were the pick of a series of beautifully-timed shots from Styris.

Opening bowlers Walmsley and Sewell were soon removed from the attack, leaving spinners Nathan Morland, Scott Waide and Jordan Sheed in the firing line. Neither of the latter two had taken a first-class wicket before today.

The only time Styris' rhythm faltered was when he entered the nervous 190s, though he was dropped twice before reaching three figures yesterday. The statistics give some idea of the power and stroke-making of the innings, but it was much more than good hitting.

Styris played shots all around the wicket off all types of bowling. His judgment was as impressive as his strokeplay.

As the morning went on, Otago became resigned to their fate, their collective body language increasingly resembling that of mourners at a funeral. Their fielding failed to compensate for deficiencies in the attack.

Hart was dropped twice as he moved on to 66, though this did not devalue his contribution to the partnership one jot. The pace of his scoring increased this morning, culminating in a six over the sightscreen off Sheed, before he was out leg before wicket to Morland.

Speaking to CricInfo at the end of the day, Styris described himself as being "calm and collected" during his innings.

"I was in control of my objectives. It was good to achieve what I was trying to do," he said.

Styris welcomed the opportunity to bat up the order in the State Championship this season.

"I am trying to change my role into that of a batsman who bowls a bit," he said. "I have been batting up the order in the one-day version of the game for a couple of seasons and that's definitely where I want my career to go."

Styris rejects the 'one-day specialist' label that is often attached to him.

"It's other people who label me as that. That's the form of the game that I enjoy most, but I'm looking to break into the Test side and if I can keep putting scores like that up on the board then hopefully I'll get my chance."

ND coach Bruce Blair described Styris as "a batsman with a tremendous amount of natural ability. He has a lot of attacking shots. It was evident to me from the start of the season that if we put together a batting plan that meant that looked for more singles than he has previously, he could become a very high quality top-order first-class and international batsman," he told CricInfo. "He oozes talent."

Today the planning and practice paid off.

"It was one of the better four-day innings that I have seen for a long time," said Blair. "It was a good mixture of defence and consolidation with some outstanding attacking batting. It was a great innings to watch."

When Brendon McCullum was out without scoring to the last ball before lunch, a third-day finish was on the cards. But a breezy partnership of 110 between Craig Cumming and Chris Gaffeney restored faith in the Otago batting. Gaffeney scored 56, including six fours and two sixes, before falling to Matthew Hart's first delivery of the match, caught by James Marshall at first slip.

Cumming (74 not out) and newcomer Sheed (39 not out) batted though the final session putting on an unbroken 64 for the third wicket. Though the pace was slower, it was still good cricket, with the bowlers bowling accurately while the batsmen were organised and disciplined.

Northern Districts should win the game tomorrow, but Otago have shown what can be achieved on what remains a high quality pitch.