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If New Zealand pace bowler Geoff Allott was going to enter cricket's record books, he wanted it to be for his wicket-taking feats, rather than his hitherto undistinguished batting skills. However, yesterday at Eden Park against South Africa, Allott claimed three world marks for:

the longest time on 0 in test history, 101 minutes, surpassing Godfrey Evans 97 minutes (England v Australia 1946-47);

the longest time without scoring a run, eclipsing another New Zealander, Martin Snedden, scoreless for 94 minutes against Australia in Wellington in 1990;

the longest duck in a first-class game, outlasting Vincent Hogg of Rhodesia, who laboured 87 minutes in a Currie Cup match in 1978-79.

However, the 27-year old Cantabrian can take pride in defying the South African advance for over an hour and a half, using up precious time the Proteas wanted for an outright win.

He also upstaged some of his colleagues up the order with his determination to stay at the crease and support fellow Canterbury player Chris Harris.

``I just went out there trying to be positive and feed the strike as much to Harry as possible,'' said Allott.

Allott only became aware of his extraordinary situation when a ground announcement was made, saying he had broken the New Zealand mark for the longest time on 0, formerly held by John Wright (66 min).

At that time he saluted the crowd, then raised his bat again when spontaneous applause broke out when Evans's mark was equalled.

``I might not get the chance to do that again with the bat,''he quipped.

The list of the five longest innings without getting off the mark by a batsman in test cricket is:

1998-99: 101 minutes: Geoff Allott (New Zealand) v South Africa, Auckland,
1946-47: 97 minutes: Godfrey Evans (England) v Australia, Adelaide,
1993-94: 84 minutes: Rajesh Chauhan (India) v Sri Lanka, Ahmedabad,
1967-68: 82 minutes: Pat Pocock (England) v West Indies, Guyana,
1962-63: 74 minutes: John Murray (England) v Australia, Sydney