AUCKLAND, MARCH 2: South Africa’s Darryl Cullinan said it was a dream come true to have hit a marathon 275 not out in the first Test against New Zealand, though it embarrassed him to eclipse a boyhood idol.

The stylish right hander, who turns 32 on the day after the Test, broke Graeme Pollock’s individual Test scoring record for South Africa to complete his collection of National records.

Cullinan scored a first class century for border at the age of 16 years and 304 days and then made 337 for Transvaal against Northern Transvaal at the beginning of the 1993-94 season, to take his country’s youngest and biggest first class centuries.

Since then, although he wouldn’t admit it publicly, he has dreamt of making a similar impression in the Test arena. “Secretly it was a dream I always had, having got the first class record in South Africa, but I honestly never thought I’d do it,” Cullinan said after his innings.

“I thought holding the domestic record was probably pretty good, and maybe I’d settle forthat,” he added. “So, yes, it was a dream come true; all I can say is that it’s good to have dreams, and it’s even better when they come true in life.” But even as Pollock praised Cullinan from Johannesburg, saying he was a fitting successor and fine player in his own right, Cullinan was expressing some regret over the feat.

“The fact that it was Graeme’s record makes me a bit embarrassed. He only played 23 Tests. Who knows what he could have done if he’d got his full quota? Because of that it was with mixed emotions that I passed his record.He was my boyhood hero and idol. When I was growing up in South Africa Graeme was the man everyone looked up and spoke about. “When I was first taken by my father to watch first class cricket at the Wanderers, it was Graeme we were going to see. Must say there was some sadness when I did it. He is one of the greats of all time,” Cullinan said.Cullinan suggested to captain Hansie Cronje that a declaration would be appropriate on the second night, when he was 246not out, but Cronje said a total of over 600 would pose an important psychological barrier. Cullinan did not argue.