Stats: Colin Munro scores a 58-ball century in the 2019-20 Ford Trophy Final

Colin Munro started off 2020 with a couple of good knocks in the 5-match T20I series against India where he stood out as New Zealand’s leading run-getter. Munro scored 178 runs across five matches with help of two fifties but couldn’t stop his team from a 0-5 whitewash. On Sunday, he turned up for Auckland in the Ford Trophy final against Otago. Munro came up with an aggressive century in the run-chase to hand his team the title with a 2-wicket win with six over to spare.

Auckland lost the wicket of Martin Guptill on the 2nd ball and Jeet Raval in the 6th over during the 284-run chase. However, Munro kept hitting boundaries irrespective of the early wickets. He reached fifty in only 27 balls and went onto to reach triple digits in only 58 balls.

Munro struck 12 fours and 7 sixes during his 60-ball 104. Auckland were 149/4 by 21st over when the left-hander was cleaned up by Jacob Duffy. Munro’s hundred is now the 5th quickest in a knock out match in List A cricket and the 3rd quickest in a tournament final.

Sachin Tendulkar held the record of quickest List A ton until 2002

All the three List A tournament final centuries coming in less than 60 balls were recorded in New Zealand domestic tournament finals only. The record for fastest hundred in a knockout match in List A cricket is held by Peter Fulton who smashed a century for Canterbury in only 50 balls against Wellington in the 2016/17 Ford Trophy Final which was reduced to 20-overs-side. Fulton, who came to bat at No.4 in the 6th over, struck 11 fours and 7 sixes during his unbeaten 116 off 58.

His knock helped Canterbury post 199/3 and win the title by a 28-run margin. In this process, he broke the record held jointly held by Adam Hollioake and Brendon McCullum. Hollioake scored a 52-ball hundred for Surrey in the 2002 Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy Quarters against Sussex. McCullum also scored a 52-ball century for Otago in the 2007/08 State Shield final against Auckland. Baz ended up scoring 170 from 108 balls to ensure his team chase down 311 with 8 overs to spare.

Sachin Tendulkar held the record of the quickest ton in a List A knockout until 2002 as he scored a 54-ball hundred against Hyderabad in the Quarters of the 1995/96 Wills Trophy. He raced to a 34-ball fifty and took just 20 balls more to reach his ton.

Tendulkar eventually got run out scoring 121 from only 79 balls but Gagan Khoda (121*) and Sanjay Manjrekar (103) ensured the Wills’ XI team finished with 379/3. This was the first-ever instance of three batsmen smashing centuries in the same List A innings.

(Stats as on February 16, 2020)