256 NOT OUT
Johnson cut loose
BANG. Wallop. Crash.
North East Valley opener Llew Johnson sent the ball flying around Memorial Park during a scarcely believable knock of 256 not out against UniversityGrange on Saturday.
In all likelihood, it is a Dunedin premier grade club record.
Club statistics are patchy at best but it is doubtful anyone else has flogged more than 250 runs in a oneday game.
The 20yearold righthander swatted 21 sixes and 15 fours. Just take a moment to process that.
He clubbed 126 runs in sixes alone. And he has clouted another 60 runs in fours — it is mindblowing stuff and utterly devastating if you were in the bowling attack.
Johnson could not be reached for comment yesterday. But teammate and captain Will Kindley had a frontrow seat for a good portion of the innings.
The pair put on 107 for the first wicket and Kindley said it was far from the bangwallopcrash approach you might expect.
Early on, Johnson was patient, watchful and selective.
Not every delivery got the special treatment. He was not afraid to pull out a defensive shot.
‘‘He was positive and looked to play his shots but he was playing good cricket shots and making sure the ball was there to hit,’’ Kindley said.
‘‘Towards the end of the innings he certainly started to ramp it up a bit. I don’t know what he scored that last 100 runs off but it can’t have been many balls.
‘‘But they were pretty much all good cricket shots and it was impressive to watch.’’
Johnson faced the first and last ball of the innings, and 154 in total, which is testament to his concentration.
He made his debut for Otago as a 17yearold. He replaced Jimmy Neesham in the Volts twenty20 lineup in January 2018 and played three matches.
While he was unable to capitalise on those opportunities, he remained on the fringe of the side and impressed with a century for Otago A late last month.
That innings did not go unnoticed by the Otago selectors and Saturday’s effort will have seen his stocks surge.
The knock helped his side post a formidable total of 387 for six. UniversityGrange was 115 for seven when the rain arrived.
Valley recorded a 202run win by the DuckworthLewisStern method.
Former North East Valley player Simon Beare scored 201 not out during a declaration match in February 2006. Johnson will replace him at the top of the list.
‘‘As far as I’m aware, it is well above our club records for batting,’’ Kindley said.
‘‘I’d say that record will stand for a while now.’’
JEEPERS.
Fringe Otago batsman Llew Johnson just moved a lot further away from the margins with an astonishing knock at Memorial Park on Saturday.
The North East Valley opener blasted 21 sixes and 15 fours in an undefeated innings of 256 against UniversityGrange.
Valley reached 387 for six from its 50 overs.
The 20yearold righthander’s effort has to be some kind of record, right?
Club cricket records can be sketchy so we welcome any correspondence on that.
But let us examine those numbers again. Twentyone sixes adds up to 126 runs. And 15 fours was worth another 60 runs; so that is 186 runs in boundaries alone.
It is just extraordinary, really. Johnson, who scored a century for Otago A recently and cannot be far away from a promotion to the Volts, had good support from fellow opener Will Kindley, who clubbed 46 in an opening stand of 107.
Most of the bowling figures are not too flattering but Sam Edlund took three for 51 and avoided the worst of the carnage.
UniversityGrange was 115 for seven when the rain arrived. Hunter Kindley nabbed three for 33 and his side recorded a 202 run victory by the DuckworthLewisStern method.
CarisbrookDunedin/Kaikorai had its nose in front when the rain arrived at Tonga Park.
It had posted 192 and Albion was reasonably placed at 96 for four in reply. But the Eagles were behind the DuckworthLewisStern equation and lost by eight runs.
Jordan Gain set a nice foundation for CDK with 51 from 50 balls.
Fergus Ellis (23 from 46) and Taine Bayly (33 from 39) knuckled down to add some some valuable runs in the middle order.
Albion used eight different bowlers and most of them were reasonably frugal.
Rightarm medium pacer Ben Blackman picked up the key wicket of Gain in his haul of three for 25, while Jesse Simpson claimed two for 24.
Former Otago contracted player Josh TasmanJones topscored with 61 from 75. But he did not have much support from his teammates.
Simpson limped to 18 from 53 balls as Albion struggled to get on top of the run rate.
Josh Finnie claimed the wickets of both players to finish with two for 11 from six overs.
Taieri was in the control tower at Brooklands but was undone by the weather rather than Green Island.
Cameron Jackson (54 from 81) compiled a patient halfcentury and spinner Ben Lockrose chipped in with 47 in the middle order to help their side post 247 for seven.
Nathan McNicol played a nice cameo as well. He whacked an undefeated 28 from 20 balls.
Mockford and Mockford were the pick of the Green Island bowlers. Jed took one for 28 from 10 and Jack two for 35 from 10, while former Otago seamer Christi Viljoen nabbed two for 48.
Green Island attacked the total, clouting 68 runs from the opening 10 overs.
Geordie Scott showed his hand with 33 from 23 balls, and Gregor Croudis punched out 27 from 21.
But the Swamp Rats were three down and still had plenty of batting ahead when the rain arrived.
Tom Myles bagged two wickets for Taieri.