Johnson cracked a scintillating century to lead North Otago to a first-innings win over Southland in a Hawke Cup qualifying game in Invercargill.
He was not alone, either. Hunter Wardle also scored his maiden Hawke Cup ton and was part of a record partnership as North Otago rattled up 356, the sixth-highest innings score in their history, before dismissing Southland for 234.
Southland were 182 for three in their second innings when stumps were called.
North Otago lost their first two batters to ducks after being asked to bat at Queen’s Park before Johnson and Wardle rode to the rescue.
Johnson was slightly more aggressive — that is how he plays, obviously — as he whacked 14 fours and four sixes in his magnificent 142 off 175 balls.
That equalled the 10th-highest individual innings in North Otago history, according to historian Scott Cameron.
Johnson, whose previous best for North Otago was 88, had not played at this level since the 2020-21 season as he has generally been on Volts white-ball duties.
Wardle is in just his second Hawke Cup season and before the weekend had a top score of 70 and an average of 15.7.
The recent Waitaki Boys’ High School pupil cracked 108 off 211 balls, stroking 14 fours and blasting one six.
New Zealand Cricket made the terrible decision to force these qualifying games to be scored on the PlayHQ website, which remains plagued by issues and did not even have fall of wickets for the weekend’s match.
Thankfully, Cameron was able to advise Johnson and Wardle put on 240 runs for the third wicket.
That smashed the North Otago record set 97 years ago, when Carl Zimmerman and Fred Carrington put on 237 runs for the fifth wicket against Southland.
Liam Direen (23 off 25 balls) and Cameron Grubb (25 not out off 17 balls) added a few late runs as North Otago batted into the 92nd over.
Southland did not make a particularly bright start in their reply, but Jed Mockford (48), Jason Osborne (43) and Blake Buttar-Scurr (42) added some steel in the middle order.
Direen (three for 40) and Lochie Mavor (three for 53) were the pick of the North Otago bowlers.
Asked to follow on, Southland made 182 for three, heightened by Aaron Hart’s unbeaten 124. He was supported by Nick Brown who was on 34 not out when the game was called.
In Ashburton, Otago Country sailed to a six-wicket win over Mid Canterbury.
Country dismissed the home side for 102 and 128, scored 147 in their first innings, and cruised to 84 for four to secure outright victory.
Matt West (three for 16) and Sam Blakely (three for 19) were Country’s best bowlers in Mid Canterbury’s first dig, and West (four for 16) and Thomas O’Connor (four for 49) flourished in the second.
O’Connor showed his all-round chops with an unbeaten 72 in Country’s first innings and Hugo Bogue made 40 in their second.
O’Connor’s little brother, Jack, made his Hawke Cup debut along with Sam Harper.
