• 3 UNCAPPED PLAYERS FOR ROUND 2 PLUNKET SHIELD
• TOM BRUCE RETURNS
• 50th CAP IN STORE FOR AJAZ PATEL
• SCHMULIAN RETURNS TO SCENE OF RECORD DEBUT

At least two cricketers will make their Central Stags and first-class debuts this week, with three uncapped players named for the Stags’ second round Plunket Shield fixture that begins tomorrow against Northern Districts.

National first-class champions the Stags have made four changes to their first-round squad, having lost Ross Taylor and Blair Tickner to the BLACKCAPS T20 International squad, left-armer Ben Wheeler to a groin strain, and uncapped CDU19 and NZU19 allrounder Joey Field dropping out of the squad with a niggle.

With regulars Doug Bracewell, Bevan Small, Adam Milne, Kieran Noema-Barnett and Will Young all still on the injury bench, the return of frontline batsman Tom Bruce will be especially welcomed by the squad.

Following rehabilitation from minor keyhole surgery on his right knee in late September, Bruce passed a fitness test last week, and is looking forward to his first appearance for the Stags this season.

Of the three uncapped players selected, 25-year-old Taranaki right-arm medium pacer Ryan Watson, a former NZ U19 representative, is the only player to have previously been named in a Plunket Shield squad, having carried the drinks in seven matches.

Nelson right-arm paceman Jarrod Mckay, 19, steps up from CD A and CD U19 representation while promising young quick Ray Toole — who turns 22 tomorrow, the firat day of a potential debut match — received his first CD A callup in February, after impressing for Manawatū.Born in South Africa, Toole played grade cricket in Melbourne, Australia, before moving to Palmerston North to undertake a Bachelor of Business Studies.

Said CDCA High Performance Manager Lance Hamilton, “This is a great opportunity for some younger, less experienced players to step up and test where they are at with regards to first-class cricket.

“In an ideal situation, you wouldn’t have so many potential debutants in one first-class fixture, but injuries create opportunity. It’s an exciting time for the new guys and an opportunity for them to stake a claim for the future.”

Should any of the uncapped players require inspiration on debut, they will need only glance to teammate Brad Schmulian who returns, for the first time, to the ground at which he scored his astounding New Zealand record 203 on first-class debut, against ND this time two years ago.

Last week Schmulian contributed an unbeaten 74* and 32 in the tight first-round loss against the Auckland Aces, with the injury-struck Stags hungry to clamber up the points table against ND — who meanwhile drew their opening round match with Canterbury in the eight-round championship campaign.

The second-round match will be star spinner Ajaz Patel’s 50th cap match for the side, having also played seven first-class matches for New Zealand and two for Yorkshire.

The Stags’ first home game of 2019/20 will finally follow in Round Three at Nelson’s Saxton Oval, where the Stags will meet Canterbury from 8 November.

PLUNKET SHIELD | ROUND TWO OF EIGHT

10.30am, Wednesday 30 October - Saturday 1 November 2019

Northern Districts v Central Stags

Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

GREG HAY — captain, Nelson

TOM BRUCE — Taranaki

DANE CLEAVER— wicketkeeper, Manawatū

WILLEM LUDICK — Nelson

JARROD MCKAY— Nelson

AJAZ PATEL— Hawke’s Bay

RAYMOND TOOLE — Manawatū

SETH RANCE — Wairarapa

BRAD SCHMULIAN — Hawke’s Bay

BEN SMITH — Whanganui

RYAN WATSON — Taranaki

GEORGE WORKER — Manawatū

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Article added: Tuesday 29 October 2019