Hay, who resumed day two on 130, posted a career-high 226 to eclipse the previous highest score at the ground of 179 scored by Ken Rutherford in the 1988-89 season.
His marathon nearly nine-hour stint at the crease provided the backbone for Central’s 511 for six declared, a team record score at the venue. The previous best was 456 scored by Northern Districts last season.
Former Otago player Kieran Noema-Barnett made a more than useful contribution with 108, his third first-class century.
The pair added 205 for the fifth wicket to set another record and pile the pressure on Otago, which was 82 for two at stumps.
It is Central Districts’ highest fifth-wicket partnership against Otago, surpassing the previous mark of 168 set by Mark Douglas and Ben Smith at Molyneux Park in 2000-01.
Hay was eventually undone by part-timer Josh Tasman-Jones, who captured him lbw.
He tried to pull a delivery away which was a little too full for the purpose. Of course, a good portion of his 26 fours were whacked in that area, so he will be able to live with the dismissal.
Noema-Barnett holed out three overs earlier, much to the relief of 18-year-old left-arm spinner Ben Lockrose.
He is on debut and it was a rough introduction. He finished with one for 123 from 25 overs.
Christi Viljoen was frugal, though. He delivered 10 maidens to took none for 41 from 27 overs.
They are the kind of heroic figures which usually go unnoticed because of an absence of an entry in the wickets’ column.
Strike bowlers Jacob Duffy and Nathan Smith grabbed two wickets apiece and conceded fewer than 2.5 run an over, so it was an honest stint by both men.
Otago’s innings began poorly with Brad Wilson shouldering arms and getting trapped lbw for two in the third over. Was there a hint it was missing off? Possibly, but it did tapper back in and it was too close to leave.
Cam Hawkins did not have much luck with the leave, either. He was bowled by Blair Tickner, who nipped a delivery back in and hit the top of off. It will be of no consolation to Hawkins, but he got pretty much the perfect ball.
Shawn Hicks (39), who has been out of form, and Tasman-Jones (29), fought back for the home side with an unbroken stand of 72.
They will need to continue the good work for a lot longer today if Otago is going to wriggle out of its predicament.
There is a good tussle taking place at Eden Park Outer Oval. Auckland is 228 for seven in reply to Canterbury’s first innings total of 220.
At Seddon Park, Wellington is 152 for three in reply to Northern Districts’ tally of 251.
