Central Stags wicketkeeper-batsman DANE CLEAVER will make his captaincy debut when the Plunket Shield season resumes tomorrow in Napier - in the Stags' 500th Plunket Shield fixture since the team began in 1950.

Returning from a hamstring injury, Cleaver will become the 49th man to captain the team (all formats) and said he would relish the opportunity to step up.

Cleaver gains the armband in the absence of regular first-class captain Greg Hay who is still on the way back from a broken thumb sustained during the Dream11 Super Smash campaign.

“I’m really looking forward to it and to following in the footsteps of a long list of good cricketers and great leaders for CD,” said Cleaver

“We’re fortunate to have a number of quality leaders in the Central Stags and I’ve been lucky to play with some great captains and leaders - the likes of Haysie, Will Young, Ross Taylor, Tom Bruce.

PHOTOSPORT

Cleaver had been named the squad’s vice-captain for the first time at the start of the summer and has been part of the Stags’ leadership group for several seasons, as a respected senior player who will head into tomorrow’s fiith round fixture with 3,973 first-class runs from 63 matches and closing in on 200 wicketkeeping dismissals.

“But I think the last time I actually captained a match would have been about 10 years ago for Manawatu in the Hawke Cup, and I captained my First XI at school, so I’m really going to relish this opportunity.

"I’ve been around consistently in all three formats for the Stags for a good few years now and wicketkeeping is a role that comes with inherent leadership qualities - being the drummer in the band as the cliché goes. 

“You’re the eyes and ears for the captain wiith fielding positions and you’re around his plans, the angles and the tactical side of it, so it is a role that is very interwoven with leadership and I really enjoy and appreciate that role.”

Young and Bruce will be on hand to contribute to Cleaver’s collaborative style of captaincy, but Taylor has been forced to miss the match as a COVID-19 ‘family contact’ - with BLACKCAPS commitments likely to see him miss the remainder of the Stags summer.

PHOTOSPORT

Tomorrow’s match is the 96th first-class fixture between the Central Stags and Northern Districts and sees the two teams head in with 28 outright victories apiece. 

Currently fourth on the table, just a handful of points behind ND, the Stags would dearly like one more over the next four days to get the back half of their championship season off to a flier, after a mixed bag of results in the four rounds before Christmas.

With the points table this season ordered by average points per game, and teams at different stages of their campaigns, Cleaver said it can be tricky to work exactly how everyone is placed but if the Stags can keep winning, the table take care of itself.

At his disposal for this round will be Test spinner Ajaz Patel (below) who returns from a calf injury, but the attack will be missing the services of opening bowler Seth Rance who has injured his Achilles’ tendon. 

Allrounder Ben Wheeler is unavailable for the remainder of the saeason after injuring his knee during The Ford Trophy campaign.

PHOTOSPORT

Hay is meanwhile “hopefully not too far away” from full fitness, said Cleaver.

“He’s an integral part of our team and he’s gutted to be missing a first-class match. Hopefully his return is just around the corner, and I’ll be more than happy to give the reins back to Haysie when he’s ready. 

"In the meantime I’m grateful to have some of our most experienced players like Youngy and Ben Smith, Ajaz, Tom, Blair Tickner and Doug Bracewell as the bowling intelligence all around me, and it’s going to be a team effort using the excellent resources that we’ve got.”

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Under the red phase of the Protection Framework, all of the Central Stags’ matches will be played behind closed gates for the remainder of the 2021/22 season, with free livestreams and livescoring with video highlights available at www.cdcricket.co.nz to follow the action ball by ball

2021/22 PLUNKET SHIELD | Round Five

v NORTHERN DISTRICTS

McLean Park, Napier - closed gates

10.30am Friday 11 to Monday 14 March 20022

CENTRAL STAGS

Dane Cleaver — captain, wicketkeeper - Manawatu

Doug Bracewell — Hawke’s Bay

Tom Bruce — Taranaki

Josh Clarkson — Nelson

Joey Field — Hawke’s Bay

Ajaz Patel — Hawke’s Bay

Brad Schmulian — Hawke’s Bay

Ben Smith — Whanganui

Blair Tickner — Hawke’s Bay

Ray Toole —Manawatu

Bayley Wiggins — Hawke’s Bay

Will Young —Taranaki

Coach - Rob Walter

 

Contracted players unavailable for selection: 

Adam Milne – IPL

Seth Rance – Achilles injury

Ross Taylor — isolation

Ben Wheeler — knee injury

Toss: 10am NZT

Livescoring, livestream, schedule: visit  cdcricket.co.nz

Official hashtags: #PlunketShield #LoveTheStags

 

 

Article added: Thursday 10 March 2022