It was all happening for Wellington seamer Ollie Newton, right, as Auckland wickets tumbled at the Basin Reserve on day one of the Plunket Shield match.

Now for Ollie Newton's next trick. And don't rule anything out.

Widely known as the guy who snared a one-handed crowd catch at Westpac Stadium in 2014 - but couldn't claim the $100,000 prize because he arrived in his work suit not an orange brewery t-shirt - Newton took it up another level on his first-class cricket debut at the Basin Reserve on Monday.

Several levels, in fact. Not only did 29-year-old Newton snare a wicket with his first Plunket Shield delivery, emulating team-mate Luke Woodcock and five other New Zealanders, the Wellington seamer took three Auckland scalps in his first four balls.

Ollie Newton had a first over in first-class cricket he could only dream about, for Wellington against Auckland at the Basin Reserve.

"I think I prefer this one," Newton laughed of his second brush with cricketing fame.

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"That [2014] story always seems to come up. Someone I haven't seen for a while will say: 'you're the guy who caught the one-handed catch who wasn't in a t-shirt'. It's the one that's never going to go away. You've just got to laugh it off. One of those things; right place, right time."

RAGHAVAN VENUGOPAL/PHOTOSPORT Auckland batsman Rob O'Donnell tries to let one go and hears that awful rattle as Ollie Newton snares another wicket for Wellington.

This one was no fluke, after new Firebirds skipper Michael Bracewell chose to bowl first and Newton pushed into the Basin Reserve breeze after Hamish Bennett's uneventful first over.

"I felt pretty relaxed. It was a long pre-season and I was just pretty excited to get the nod for the first game," said Newton, in his third season as a Wellington contracted player.

"The palms were a little bit sweaty and it slid out and ended up being a yorker that shaped in a little bit and trapped him in front."

RAGHAVAN VENUGOPAL/PHOTOSPORT New Wellington captain Michael Bracewell can hardly believe his luck as he catches Mark Chapman off the bowling of Ollie Newton to reduce Auckland to 2-3 in the second over at the Basin Reserve.

Auckland captain Michael Guptill-Bunce was the unfortunate recipient of that first-baller, one of five ducks in the visitors' total of 62 all out, their eighth-lowest.

Rob O'Donnell played out a dot ball then went to leave the next one but was too late and chopped onto his stumps. Then left-hander Mark Chapman followed one that moved away and edged to Bracewell in the cordon.

"I grew up with Mike down in Otago and that was quite cool - both our first games for Wellington. I couldn't have dreamed of a better start."

Newton bowled eight overs on the trot and ended with 4-26. Bennett, who along with Brent Arnel was Newton's bowling mentor, took 3-2 off five overs and Logan van Beek and Iain McPeake helped polish the rest off.

The quicks bowled a full length, the ball did just enough and they had their feet up before lunch. And it got even better as openers Michael Papps and Woodcock cruised to 246-0 at stumps on day one of the season, with Papps' unbeaten 163 his 32nd first-class century.

"Hamish bowled quick and aggressive downwind, then Logan and Peaker bowled really well too. It was a team effort and to see Woody and Pappsy bat the way they did capped off a pretty awesome day. A few of the lads said 'best day of cricket ever'."

Dunedin-born and raised Newton must have wondered if he'd ever add to his solitary Twenty20 appearance in December 2015.

Newton tore the ACL in his knee a month later, and the next season was sidelined by a calf strain, side strain and more knee surgery.

Not that he was struggling away from cricket. The University of Otago law graduate was admitted to the bar in 2013 and completed chartered accountancy in 2015, which saw him move north for an internship with Deloitte where he still works as a tax manager.

Newton was directed towards the Upper Hutt club by fellow Otago man Leighton Morgan but had minimal aspirations in 2013. "I was neither here nor there with cricket".

He impressed Firebirds coach Bruce Edgar who contracted him in 2015 and, eventually, he got his chance. Monday's debut wicket haul repaid the coach's faith; now Newton has a benchmark. "I'll be going out there to try and top it. We'll see how we go."