Papps first to 10,000 Plunket Shield runs as Wellington beat Auckland

Luke Woodcock’s 98 and a half-century from captain Michael Papps helped Wellington chase down 275 with six wickets to spare for their opening win in the 2016-17 season of the Plunket Shield against defending champions Auckland. With his 57 in the second innings, Papps became the first player to score 10,000 runs in New Zealand’s first-class competition. Papps had registered 10,000 overall first-class runs in 2014-15, the 25th New Zealand batsman to do so.

“It is a bit of a milestone for all players and when you play for a long time it is something you aspire to and it’s nice to tick that off, since only 25 New Zealanders have done it,” Papps said after the game. “I think the first to get to 10,000 Plunket Shield runs is a special thing, too. It’s obviously a prestigious competition and it’s been going on for a long time now. And to be the first person to get to 10,000 is a real honour.”

Woodcock and Papps’ efforts, and their opening partnership of 106, ensured a comfortable chase for Wellington. Woodcock took the lead, scoring 11 fours and a six in his 235 ball-knock, falling two runs short of a century with the target only 10 runs away.

Another key player for Wellington was seamer Brent Arnel, who had match returns of 8 for 104, with four-fors in both innings. Arnel carved out Auckland’s middle order in the first innings, after they had opted to bat, taking four wickets to reduce them to 173 for 7 from 151 for 3, after which they were bowled out for 269. In the second innings, he paired with Jeetan Patel, who took 4 for 76, to ensure that Auckland’s score was limited to 278, leaving Wellington with 275 to win.

Wellington had managed a first-innings lead of four …

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