Chad Bowes etched his name into cricket history on Wednesday by scoring the fastest double-century in List A cricket. Playing for Canterbury in the Ford Trophy against Otago, Bowes reached his remarkable milestone in just 103 balls, breaking the previous record jointly held by Australia’s Travis Head and India’s N Jagadeesan, both of whom achieved the feat in 114 balls.
Head accomplished the feat for South Australia against Queensland in the 2021-22 Marsh Cup, while Jagadeesan did it for Tamil Nadu in the 2022 Vijay Hazare Trophy against Arunachal Pradesh with a record 277 runs knock.
Bowes marked his 100th List-A appearance in spectacular fashion, finishing with a blistering 205 runs off 110 balls, which included 27 fours and seven sixes. His explosive performance propelled Canterbury to a total of 343 for 9 after being put in to bat at the Hagley Oval.
Reflecting on his achievement, the 32-year-old Bowes expressed his joy and surprise. “It might sink in over the next day or two, but obviously a great day here at Hagley and a good occasion to do something special,” he said. “These things happen naturally, organically. You don’t plan for it or try to do it, so I’m glad it was my day.”
Bowes began aggressively, racing to his half-century in just 26 balls, and continued to dominate the Otago bowling attack, reaching his century in 53 balls. He maintained his momentum, needing only an additional 50 balls to complete his double-century before being trapped lbw by Matthew Bacon in the 39th over, who took five wickets in the match.
Canterbury’s batting lineup struggled to find consistency beyond Bowes, with captain Cole McConchie’s 27 off 40 balls being the next-highest contribution. However, Zakary Foulkes provided a late innings boost, scoring 49 runs off 46 balls, helping Canterbury close in on the 350-run mark.
In response, Otago’s batting faltered dramatically, as they were bowled out for a mere 103, leading to a staggering 240-run victory for Canterbury.
