The 17-year-old went into the match feeling confident after a decent start to the season with the bat, scoring 108 off 74 balls then 76 not out off 32 balls.<\/p>\n
But he admits to some degree there was a point to prove after finding out earlier in the week he\u2019d only been named as a travelling reserve for Otago\u2019s under-19s for next month\u2019s nationals in Christchurch.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always want to prove a point,\u201d Harper said. \u201cBut I think it was just doing what I do. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was more impressed with my batting as it\u2019s something I worked towards and where my focus is at the moment.<\/p>\n
Sam Harper leaves the field after his unbeaten double century. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
\u201cI was feeling pretty confident. I didn\u2019t think it\u2019d be that good though.\u201d<\/p>\n
W\u0101naka captain and club president Blayne Wegener said he wasn\u2019t too surprised to witness Harper\u2019s efforts, but admits it was the best performance of cricket by an individual anyone there that day will ever see.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been batting really well, and I think he\u2019s a little bit underrated with the off-spin that he does bowl,\u201d Wegener said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s an absolute talent. Scoring 233 is a massive but I\u2019m not super surprised.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m probably more surprised for the 5 for 1. That\u2019s pretty crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wegener can take some of the credit for the bowling heroics after making the call to thrust Harper into the attack.<\/p>\n
Harper previously opened the bowling as a medium-fast bowler, but after a stress fracture in his back, he\u2019s recently converted to off-spin.<\/p>\n
He hadn\u2019t bowled in the first two games, but with Queenstown on track to chase down the target, Wegener made the call to switch his bowlers up, putting in Will Anderson and Harper, who tore through the line-up in 47 balls.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s bowled off-spin in the nets a little bit and he\u2019s bowled it to me and I\u2019ve rated it,\u201d Wegener said.<\/p>\n
\u201cQueenstown got off to a really good start. They were 148 chasing our 342 and they had plenty of overs left.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe brought on Sam, another young kid on, Will Anderson and between them, nine wickets in eight overs with for 14 runs. It was wild.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harper said it didn\u2019t take long for news of his efforts to spread as he received a fair few comments from players while representing Otago Country the following day against Dunedin in the year 11\/12 competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got a few messages from different people and then it ended up on the Alternate Commentary Collective on their socials,\u201d Harper said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat was quite funny. Got a few good messages. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a game on Sunday and I was getting the chat as soon as I walked out there. They were just like \u2018can you back it up?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
For Harper, who was the Otago under-17 player of the year last summer, and represented New Zealand in indoor cricket at under 15s, he still has one year left at school but cricket is firmly on his radar for the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s definitely a goal,\u201c Harper said. \u201dAlways working towards it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m leaving options open at the moment. I still have a year of school to decide.\u201d <\/p>\n