202 off 137 balls, 21 sixes: Bevon Jacobs rewrites Auckland Aces history in Ford Trophy

Auckland Aces were in early trouble at 39 for three in the 12th over when Bevon Jacobs walked in at number four against Otago in the Ford Trophy on November 12. What followed was one of the most extraordinary innings in New Zealand domestic cricket history. Jacobs finished unbeaten on 202 off 137 balls, striking 21 sixes and 7 fours at a strike rate of 147.44, propelling Auckland to 334 for 8 from their 50 overs.

The 202 not out is the highest individual score in Auckland Aces' Ford Trophy history, surpassing the 174 not out Colin Munro made in 2017/18. It is also only the third double century recorded in the Ford Trophy's history, and it was Jacobs' maiden List A century of any kind, making it simultaneously his first hundred and first double hundred at this level.

Jacobs' 21 sixes place him second on the all-time men's List A record for sixes in a single innings. D'Arcy Short holds the top spot after hitting 23 sixes in his 257 off 148 balls for Western Australia against Queensland in 2018. With his 202, Jacobs also became only the fourth New Zealand batter to score a double century in men's List A cricket, joining Martin Guptill, who made 237 not out, Jamie How, who scored 222, and Chad Bowes, who reached 205. Jacobs hit 5 sixes in the final over alone.

However, Otago successfully chased down the 334-run target, reaching it with 5 wickets in hand and 5 balls to spare. Lachlan Stackpole contributed the next-best score for Auckland with 46 off 45 balls. For Otago, Max Chu made 75 not out off 55 balls, Jack Boyle scored 62 off 61 balls, Thorn Parkes added 55 off 63 balls, Tom Jones hit 31 off 19 balls, and Jamal Todd finished on 21 not out off 8 balls.

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What do Jacobs' Ford Trophy and List A numbers look like heading into this match?

Across 31 Ford Trophy matches and 27 innings before this knock, Jacobs had accumulated 870 runs at an average of 39.54 and a strike rate of 108.75, with 1 century and 4 half-centuries. His overall List A record across 33 matches and 29 innings mirrors those numbers closely, with 870 runs at an average of 36.25 and a strike rate of 107.80, again featuring 1 century and 4 fifties. The 202 not out now transforms both sets of figures significantly and stands as the defining innings of his domestic career to date.

How has Jacobs performed at international level since making his debut in 2025?

Jacobs made his international debut for New Zealand in 2025 and has since appeared in 16 T20Is. Across 14 innings in that format, he has scored 319 runs at an average of 31.90 and a strike rate of 144.34, with two half-centuries and a highest score of 62 not out. In a recent T20I series against India, he was particularly impressive, scoring 136 runs across 5 innings at an average of 45.33 and a strike rate of 146.23, including one half-century. Jacobs also represented Mumbai Indians in the IPL in 2025, giving him exposure to high-pressure franchise cricket before this breakthrough List A performance.