Canterbury Opener Chad Bowes makes white-ball cricket history

By Mike Thorpe

Canterbury Kings opener Chad Bowes hit the fastest double century in white-ball cricket history today.

The hard-hitting right-hander carved up the Otago Volts attack to every corner of Hagley Oval, bringing up his 200 off just 103 balls.

Bowes takes the List A record from Australian Travis Head, who had previously held it with 114 balls, playing for South Australia.

It was almost the greatest innings never seen – had it not been for a handful of spectators and New Zealand Cricket’s live coverage on YouTube.

Bowes was at his belligerent best against pace, spin and all types of field sittings, cracking seven sixes and 27 fours before eventually succumbing LBW to Matt Bacon for 205.

“It started off really nicely, so I just kept going, and it was working so I didn’t try to rein it in too much. Just kept the foot on the gas,” said Bowes.

The former Black Cap admits he’s not had an innings where he’s hit the ball as well as he did today.

“Probably not consistently that well, every now and then. So, it was nice to get most of them out of the middle and hit it around the park,” said Bowes.

What made Bowes’ innings even more incredible was his contribution to the team total. When he raised his bat for 200, Canterbury were 257 for five – meaning he’d scored 78% of his team’s total.

While Bowes’ innings saw him face 110 balls and score 150 runs in boundaries, the knock still took its toll on him. He was twice treated for back issues and regularly hydrated under a blazing Canterbury sky – the temperature reaching 26C.

For all the big shots there were – and there were many, including one that rolled around the marquee roof of the Hadlee Pavilion – it was back-to-back boundaries off the bowling of Andrew Hazeldine that really underlined Bowes’ form.

He cracked two consecutive short balls through a tight gap between boundary riders at backward square leg and wide mid-wicket, defying the plan that had been put in place by the Otago captain.

Bowes’ 205 is a Canterbury record but fell just short of the New Zealand Ford Trophy record for an individual innings. That still belongs to Jamie How, who made 222 for Central Districts in 2013.

It was only the second double century to be scored in the competition’s history and Bowes became just the third New Zealander to do it in List A competition. Martin Guptill was the other, making 237 not out in the 2015 World Cup, playing for New Zealand against West Indies.

Canterbury finished their innings at 343/9.

Otago capitulated in their chase, dismissed for just 103 in the 25th over.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission