Brad Schmulian has put on an excellent all-round show in the Plunket Shield game between Central Districts and Wellington.
Brad Schmulian’s solo effort keeps Central Districts afloat
Resuming on 356-7, Wellington were bowled out for 401-7 in their first innings in the Plunket Shield match against Central Districts at McLean Park in Napier.
Josh Tashkoff (109) and Jersey international cricketer Nick Greenwood (143) had put on 222 for the opening stand after Tom Bruce had opted to field, but a flurry of wickets, especially a phase of three wickets for one run on the first evening, resulted in them not scoring as much as they would have wanted to. None of the other nine batters reached 40.
Not a frontline bowler (he had 45 wickets in 58 first-class games), Schmulian came on as sixth bowler but finished with a career-best haul of 4-27. His wickets included two international cricketers, Greenwood and Tim Robinson.
Opening batting, Schmulian then saw CD slump to 25-3 and then 96-6 before finding an ally in Brett Randell, who scored 66 and helped him put on 154 for the seventh wicket. Randell fell just before stumps, but Schmulian remained unbeaten on 104 as CD finished the second day on 251-7.
Match 14, Central Stags vs Wellington Firebirds
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A record-holding debutant
Now 35, Schmulian had a famous debut in the 2016/17 Plunket Shield. Coming out at 7-3 against Northern Districts, he made 203 (still his highest score) to help CD declare on 313-7.
Schmulian became the first to score a double hundred on debut New Zealand soil: he remains the only one. In the process, he broke George Watson’s long-standing record. Playing for Canterbury against Otago in 1880/81, Watson made 175 – at that point the third-highest score by a first-class debutant.
