Warriors skipper Marcus North knew he was creating history as he closed in on what could be a match-saving century for Western Australia in the second innings of its Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield clash with Victoria.
Coming in at 2-22, North was a model of class and composure as he took on a fired-up Bushrangers' attack for five hours, despite spending all the previous day in bed with a virus.
In an emphatic performance, North's ton included 18 fours, as he followed up a first-innings 103 with a score of 141 before exhaustion crept in just before stumps and he edged Damien Wright to David Hussey at second slip.
Only six Western Australians, including current coach Tom Moody, have scored centuries in both innings, but North is the first to achieve the feat twice, having made two centuries against South Australia in 2005/06.
His demise led to the Warriors collapsing, losing 3-3 as David Bandy (48) and Liam Davis (one) rapidly followed him back to the shed in a dramatic last few overs.
But North's efforts still helped the Warriors to 7-290 going into the final day, a 203-run lead over the Bushrangers after it appeared likely the Victorians would wrap up the match on Sunday afternoon when Shaun Marsh's wicket saw Western Australia slump to 3-50 in its second dig.
"This year it's been really rewarding to get some tough runs, I guess and especially as captain," North said, recalling his disappointment at missing most of his first season in charge last year through a knee injury.
"I guess you play 10 years of cricket and that experience has gotta show for something."
"It's always nice to get your name on the honour board, in the change rooms, but to get it twice is something."
"It's history there, so to be part of that, is pretty special (and) I certainly was aware of it going close to another 100, I thought it'd be nice to get a hundred for the team and also to get my name on that board again."
But having helped his side come back from a perilous position just after lunch when Marsh (15) was caught and bowled by Damien Wright (5-35), North is aware there's plenty more fighting to be done if the Warriors are to earn a result on Monday.
"We've got a 200 lead and that's 200 runs Victoria have got to get," North said.
"And we still got three wickets in the shed, we're going to try and chip away and get more of a lead and then go hard at it and put them under pressure."
"They've got to score the runs to get the six points and hopefully we can build enough pressure, put enough balls in the right area."
"You've seen Damien Wright do it today on a third day wicket that was starting to flatten out, put it in the right area enough, you get rewarded."