Those in the know have always talked quietly about Dominic Thornely but now, courtesy of 11 big hits, everybody knows his name.

Thornely made 261 not out, hitting 11 sixes, and joined Stuart MacGill in a 10th wicket partnership of 219 that helped NSW to 419 on the second day of the Pura Cup match against Western Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In reply WA was bowled out for 137 and was 0-23 following on, still trailing by 259 runs.

Thornely broke the record held by the late David Hookes for the most sixes in a first-class innings in Australia, Hookes having hit 10 for South Australia against NSW at Adelaide nearly 20 years ago in 1985-86.

Queenslander Andrew Symonds holds the world record for the most sixes in a first-class innings, smashing 16 for Gloucestershire against Glamorgan in 1995.

Thornely, a 26-year-old from Albury, has been in the national selectors' black book going back to his days in the Australian under-19 team but he's had to wait a long time to justify their interest in him.

With a NSW team full of Test players, he's struggled to break into the state's top team and this match is only his eighth first-class game.

But that lack of experience didn't stop the national selectors shocking a few people when they named Thornely in the Australia A one-day team to play Zimbabwe last season.

National selection panel chairman Trevor Hohns said Thornely had always looked special from the time he opened the 1998 under-19 World Cup with a century against Zimbabwe.

"He's just one of those fellows who had attracted attention - sometimes you can't just pick someone because they're scoring runs, sometimes you take a bit of a punt on somebody or you've got an instinct that he looks like a good player and he (Thornely) obviously is," Hohns said.

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