Rhys Mariu hit a double hundred to put New Zealand A in the driver’s seat on day one (September 7) of the first unofficial Test against South Africa A.
Batting first at Potchefstroom, New Zealand subjected South Africa to a gruelling opening day in the field, racking up 357 runs for the loss of just one wicket in 76 overs.
The key architect of the tourists’ dominating display was their 23-year-old internationally-capped player, Mariu. He, along with Dale Phillips – the hero of the dead-rubber in the preceding ODIs – put together a 230-run stand for the opening wicket. When the first wicket fell in the 51st over, with Tsepo Ndwandwa dismissing Phillips for 103 off 155, South Africa would have hoped that this would finally shift the momentum to their side. However, the next man in, captain Joe Carter at No.3, also dug deep, stitching yet another century partnership to frustrate the home team.
Mariu kept churning out the runs, reaching his double century off just 214 balls. The 200th run was a tight single as he nudged a Jordan Harmann delivery - the second last ball of the day - towards mid-on and took a chance on the fielder's arm. Replays weren't available to confirm, but Mariu could well have fallen short had the throw hit. Fortunately for him, that wasn't the case, and he took off his helmet and raised his bat to celebrate the landmark. Mariu’s innings contained 28 fours and two sixes, while Carter remained unbeaten on 50 off 89. The pair had stitched an unbeaten 127-run stand by the close of play.
1st unofficial Test, South Africa A vs New Zealand A
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Who is Rhys Mariu?
Mariu was New Zealand's highest scorer in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup, finishing with 206 runs at an average of 41.20. He made his ODI debut against Pakistan in April and went on to score a match-winning 58. Though his List A average received a boost, it still stands at an underwhelming 28.72 from 18 matches.
However, first-class cricket is where Rhys has found his true calling. In the 2024-25 Plunkett Shield, New Zealand's first-class competition, he finished as the second-leading run-scorer, with 747 runs at an average of 74.70. In his first two first-class seasons, he had averaged 57.85 and 40.57 respectively. His overall first-class record now stands at 1,669 runs at 61.81, with five hundreds. This was his second double century; his first one – a score of 240 – came for Canterbury against Central Districts.
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