The second round of the 2025-26 Plunket Shield was headlined by Kane Williamson's rare domestic appearance. Here are the major highlights from the games.
In his first game for Northern Districts in a year, Williamson lasted only 27 balls across two innings. After scoring 17 in ND's first innings, he was dismissed for just 3 in their second on the final day at Bay Oval, his home ground, against Auckland. Williamson fell to rookie left-arm spinner Rohit Gulati in both innings. In the first dig, Williamson stepped out and shanked a catch to mid-off before being bowled in the second. Williamson will look to shake off the red-ball rust when he lines up for New Zealand against West Indies in their WTC opener in Christchurch from December 2.
Nicholls notches up twin tons
Henry Nicholls missed the cut for the upcoming three-match Test series at home against West Indies, which will kick off New Zealand's new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, and was not needed as a reserve batter during the preceding ODI series, but he reminded the selectors of his worth with twin centuries for Canterbury against Otago in Dunedin. This, after he had topped the one-day Ford Trophy charts in the first chunk of the season, with 306 runs in five innings.
Nicholls, Canterbury's captain, emulated his coach Peter Fulton in scoring centuries in each innings. Only four other Canterbury players have achieved the dual feat in the Plunket Shield. After making 111 off 157 balls in the first innings, Nicholls was even more fluent in the second, cracking an unbeaten 109 off 119 balls, which strengthened Canterbury's push for victory.
Canterbury also had hundreds from Ish Sodhi and No. 9 Sean Davey. Their unbroken 204-run partnership was the third-highest for the eighth wicket in the Plunket Shield. Sodhi celebrated his maiden first-class ton in dramatic fashion, pulling off the D-Generation X celebration, perhaps inspired by wrestling stars Shawn Michaels and Triple H.
Ish Sodhi with the single greatest celebration of all time after reaching his maiden first-class 100! pic.twitter.com/QF2mqcN7Od
— The ACC (@TheACCnz) November 27, 2025
The Phillips brothers sparkle
After impressing in the first round on his return from injury, Glenn Phillips had another solid workout in the second, especially with the ball, bowling more than 25 overs in each innings for Otago against Canterbury. He came away with a match haul of four wickets, including that of New Zealand Test captain Tom Latham in both innings. Phillips found turn to scratch the outside edge of Latham and also snagged Canterbury's first-round hero Matt Boyle. Legspinner Sodhi stopped Phillips six short of a hundred in Otago's first innings and proceeded to dismiss him in their second innings, too, for 2.
For Auckland, Glenn's brother Dale followed up his first-innings 40 with his first hundred for his new side, having moved from Otago ahead of the season.
Abbas, Allen return to action
Elsewhere in Lincoln, young batter Muhammad Abbas marked his return from a rib injury, which had forced him to miss five rounds of the Ford Trophy, with a half-century against the West Indians in a two-day tour game. Abbas stood up to Kemar Roach, pulling and punching the West Indians' spearhead for fours.
In Auckland, Finn Allen returned from injury for Auckland A, managing a run-a-ball 7 while opening the batting in a T20 game against Otago A at Keith Hay Park. This was Allen's first competitive fixture since he suffered a foot injury during his MLC stint with San Francisco Unicorns.
More to follow...