Dale Phillips, brother of Glenn, scored 77 while opening the batting and took a wicket while opening the bowling in a Super Smash game in Auckland.
Dale Phillips shines in Super Smash
Opening the batting for Auckland, Dale Phillips biffed his way to a 36-ball 77 after Otago captain Max Chu won the toss and opted to field at the Eden Park Outer Oval. Phillips took a mere 26 balls for his fifty, and never lost tempo thereafter. In all, he hit 11 fours and three sixes.
This was Phillips’ second fifty and his highest T20 score. He surpassed his 34-ball 65, scored for Otago against Canterbury at Dunedin in early 2022.
With Bevon Jacobs also chipping in with a 32-ball 53 (four fours, three sixes), the hosts posted 200-6. For Otago, Matthew Bacon returned 2-30 and Ben Lockrose 3-42.
Sean Solia now entrusted Phillips with the first over of the Otago innings. Before this, Phillips had never been among the first five bowlers of a T20 innings, and his career record after 43 games read 3.4-0-50-0.
After Jacob Cumming ran a single, Jamal Todd hit a four and, two balls later, a six. Phillips, however, had the last laugh when he got Todd with his next ball, caught by Ryan Harrison, to pick up his maiden T20 wicket. The job done, Solia took Phillips off the attack after that over: he had 1-12.
Also read: Star New Zealand all-rounder's uncapped brother smashes List A career-best ton v South Africa A
Otago were in the hunt at 68-2 in the sixth over, but the chase ran out of steam once Chu (27 in 16 balls) and Jack Boyle (40 in 25) fell. They collapsed to 112 as Harjot Johal returned 4-21.
Match 11, Auckland Aces vs Otago Volts
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Phillips became the second cricketer, after Anton Devcich, to open batting and score 75 and open bowling and take a wicket in the same game in New Zealand domestic T20 cricket (currently the Super Smash). Overall, this is the 11th such instance.
