Ryan Carters and Aaron Finch create opening partnership record

Ryan Carters and Aaron Finch create opening partnership record: Ryan Carters and Aaron Finch smashed 503 runs to set an Australian record opening partnership in first-class cricket on Friday before the Sydney tour match against New Zealand was abandoned on day two due to the poor quality of the pitch. Explosive one-day international specialist Finch piled on an unbeaten 288, blasting 7 sixes and 24 fours for the Cricket Australia XI while Carters struck a more circumspect 209 on a crumbling wicket at Blacktown International Sports Park.

The stand easily eclipsed the previous Australian record of 456 set by openers Ernie Mayne and Bill Ponsford for Victoria state in 1923-24. The world record opening stand of 561 is held by Pakistani pair Waheed Mirza and Mansoor Akhtar who created it in a domestic match in 1976-77.

The Australian partnership was eventually broken late on Friday morning when Carters slashed at the part-time medium pace of Tom Latham, sending a nick to wicketkeeper BJ Watling.

That brought an early lunch, but New Zealand’s batsmen failed to take the field after the break to continue a match that was originally intended to last four days. Cricket Australia said the match had been called off due to the “unfit” wicket.

“The decision has been agreed between the two teams to abandon the match due to the wicket’s deteriorating surface becoming unfit for first class cricket,” CA’s head of cricket operations Sean Cary said in a statement.

The Kiwi media reported that touring skipper Brendon McCullum refused to have his batsmen take the field out of safety concerns, with the pitch having developed crater like impressions at both ends of the wicket. This means the Kiwis will not get any substantial batting practice ahead of the first Test starting November 5 in Brisbane. Australia and New Zealand are set to clash in a 3-Test match series which will also feature the first day-night Test in cricket history.