When Luke Ronchi took the field against Sri Lanka in the fifth ODI at the University Oval, Dunedin no one expected him to steer New Zealand to a massive win. The kiwi wicketkeeper smashed his maiden ODI hundred and rescued the Black Caps.
Ronchi smashed nine sixes and fourteen boundaries on course of his unbeaten 99-ball 170 and stitched a record 267-run partnership with Grant Elliot, who also end up making a century.
The Black Caps wicketkeeper, meanwhile, broke MS Dhoni’s record of highest score by a number seven batsman in the one-dayers. Partnership between Ronchi and Elliot is also a world record for the sixth wicket.
Dhoni made an unbeaten 97-ball 139 for Asia XI against Africa XI in Chennai in 2007. The India limited-overs skipper, however, is still the only batsman to have scored two centuries while batting on number seven in the one-day internationals.
“When we first started the innings we thought we’d just bat for a while and get through that little period when the ball was still doing a bit,” Ronchi said. “After that we were pretty relaxed about the whole situation and enjoyed the position we were in.”
“Both of us were scoring quite freely and getting what we wanted out of the bowlers,” he added. “You start playing shots and things happen without you even thinking of it, and then you know you’re flowing nicely and in the zone.”
