485-run Easterns opening partnership breaks 93-year-old South African record

The first-wicket stand between Yaseen Valli and former Lancashire man Andrea Agathangelou is the sixth-best in the history of the first-class game

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Easterns batsmen Andrea Agathangelou and Yaseen Valli have put on an opening stand of 485 runs at Boland Park, breaking a national record that had stood since 1926.

Having started the final day from an overnight total of 259 without loss, Boland finally claimed the wicket of 24-year-old left-hander Valli for 230 after 126.2 overs and 508 minutes at the crease.

By that stage, the stand was the biggest among South African openers in first-class history, overtaking the 424 managed by Natal's Jack Siedle and John Nicolson 93 years earlier and eclipsing the 410 for 9 managed by Boland before declaration earlier on.

Former Lancashire batsman Agathangelou went on to reach a career-best 313 from 459 deliveries before being dismissed by allrounder Isma-Eel Gafieldien, who had scored a century of his own on the opening day of the three-day provincial fixture.

"It was a really good batting strip in Paarl and, having conceded so many, it was always going to be difficult for us to manufacture a result," Easterns coach Richard das Neves commented.

"We set our stall out very early and I set the target for our batters to say that, if they want to, they can go and break a few records.

"Little did I know that Yaseen and Andrea would set their stall out the way they did and batting together for such a long period of time, which is an incredible achievement in itself.

"The mental and physical aspect that takes out of the body is a tremendous amount, the fact that it was 35 or 36 degrees as well also sort of paid homage to how well they did."

The partnership is the sixth-best between openers in the history of the first-class game, and the highest since Aaron Finch and Ryan Carters put up 503 for a Cricket Australia XI against a touring New Zealand side in October 2015.

The all-time partnership record in the format remains the 624 scored by Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene for the third wicket against South Africa in Colombo in 2006.

However, Easterns now sit only fourth of six sides in Pool A of the CSA Three-Day Cup, with three draws from as many games and 5.48 batting bonus points the main reward for their historic efforts.