There were just 39 boundary fours scored in a match which finished at 5.55pm on day five, including only five in a full length opening day. Martin Crowe scored 71 and 42*. Unfortunately Lance Cairns went wicketless in what was his last Test match.

Today marks 40 years since New Zealand's first men's Test series victory over Australia. On 4 December 1985 NZ completed a six-wicket win at the WACA in a match played on the slowest outfield imaginable, thanks largely to Richard Hadlee's 11 wickets.

Annual reminder Test cricket is a format best played during the day.

and while I'm not sure Ethan Holman of Westlake BHS was necessarily on the shortlist, he will warrant consideration after scoring 63 (60), 125 (59) and today currently 69* (86). Mind you, there was that year Devan Vishvaka scored 3 tons at the national tournament but not picked

Century off 87 balls at the national U19 men's tournament for Hugo Bogue of Otago. One of the quirks of the likely team for the U19 World Cup is there will probably be at least four batters who also keep wicket, of which Bogue is just one. Presume Aryan Mann will do the job.

Five wickets in a test innings by cricketers born in Southland 6-68 Geoff Rabone (Gore) v SAF, Cape Town 1953/54 5-34 Jacob Duffy (Lumsden) v WI, Christchurch 2025/26 #NZvWIN

So much New Zealand news is still just the guy who read the weather on TV 25 years ago is selling his beach house. Always feels like if the media stopped publishing stories about themselves it would dry up completely.

I like how Cricinfo has 'T Chanderpaul' in its commentary cos we all know his dad will eventually be recalled to the Test team even though he's already 51.

c'mon Stuff, Gordon Wilson was never student flats.

When you're ex-Mastermind and ex-England Test cricketer playing NSW premier men's 4th grade, take a 5 wicket bag but are still called Fill In. Well bowled Monty.

It's great to see Kayley Knight steaming in again. More wheels than most in our domestic game.

Just booking tickets for a tour of Lord's in December, and they're like how did you hear about us. There isn't an option for it was 50 years ago and I don't remember, so just going to choose Other.

Rain won both Furlong Cup matches. Wairarapa 300/6 dec v Taranaki 149/5. Horowhenua Kapiti 209 & 114/8 very lucky to draw with Whanganui 354/4 dec. Notable early features this season are the re-emergence of Whanganui, and Hawke Cup holder Taranaki not impressing in two matches

Wairarapa women do the double over Manawatū in the Copelin Cup, winning by 45 runs at Queen Elizabeth Park. Melissa Hansen 42 & 2-14 for Wairarapa, Chichi Beck 21 & 3-17. Ella Hogan (47) and Sally Wenham (26) put on 60 for Manawatū's first wicket but not much after that.

Last season Oscar scored 146 (70) in a Furlong Cup match, and today hit 59* (31) for Whanganui v Horowhenua Kapiti with five sixes. He's also opening the bowling and has taken a wicket in each innings.

Discussion on here recently about how not enough of New Zealand's sporting stock of athletic build choose cricket over other sports, and we don't have many Tim Davids in our game. Oscar Mabin is an athlete to keep an eye on. Big lad who also plays lock and can hit it a long way.

It was noticeable at the end that even CD's number eight batter Kate Gaging had more fluent offside shots than McLeod. This may of course be down to tiredness after a long innings.

Great to see Emma McLeod making a big score today given she - like others in recent times - made it all the way to the national team without any real volume of achievement at domestic level. I only watched the last five overs, but she does still look very leg side dominant.

Playwright and cricket fan Tom Stoppard, who has died aged 88, wrote a famous speech in praise of the cricket bat in his play The Real Thing (1982), using the skilful creation of a bat as a metaphor for the writing of plays. #TomStoppard

I can't fathom it. Not one of book shops I've visited so far in Australia has a copy of Bazball, by me and @NHoultCricket. Must have sold out, I guess.