Central Stags wicketkeeper-batsman Dane Cleaver has registered one of New Zealand’s fastest T20 century against Otago in the second match of the Ongoing Super Smash 2021-22 at University Oval in Dunedin. He scored unbeaten 114 runs and led his team to victory by five wickets over Otago.
Cleaver’s maiden T20 century came after he smashed twelve fours and four sixes in his innings and made a record break partnership of 156 runs for Stags for the second wicket with veteran batter Grey Hay.
The 37-year-old Hay played his first T20 match after November 2014 and scored his second T20 half-century.
Bring this up, the duo’s second-wicket partnership broke the Stags’ previous record of 111 runs set in the 2010/11 edition between all-rounder George Worker and batter Mathew Sinclair.
Here’s the video of Cleaver’s century:
Dane Cleaver brings up 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ off just 48 balls! 🔥
9th fastest T20 hundred!! 😯
If you missed the game you can watch on-demand and highlights on Spark Sport.#masterclass #SparkSport #SuperSmash@CentralStags @SuperSmashNZ pic.twitter.com/CK1gxSKjDi
— Spark Sport (@sparknzsport) November 28, 2021
In the match, Otago won the toss and opted to bat first. Otago posted a total of 184/4 runs on the board in their stipulated 20 overs. Skipper Hamish Rutherford’s 82 off 47 balls steadied the Otago’s innings after losing an early wicket of Josh Finnie (12 off 10).
The 32-year-old Hamish smashed seven sixes with a strike rate of 174.47. Along with Hamish, Neil Broom (30 off 26), Nick Kelly (24 off 20), and Anaru Kitchen (25 off 14) powered Otago to a solid total of 184 runs.
In reply, Stags gunned down the target of 184 before an over to spare. There was a time when Stags lost two wickets in the 18th over, and Otago was again in the driving seat. But it was Cleaver’s century that knocked Otago out of the game.