At least one CENTRAL STAGS first-class debut is in store for the team’s penultimate Plunket Shield match, with the Stags one of just four teams left in a tight race for the coveted New Zealand title.

Fresh off a superb outright victory over Canterbury, two uncapped players have been named in the twelve to host the Otago Volts in another pivotal match at Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North this week, from 10.30am on Tuesday.

Ex-Canterbury representative and top order batsman JACK BOYLE comes into Central’s Plunket Shield squad having played three one-day Ford Trophy matches for the Stags earlier this summer - with the team still to play their cyclone-rescheduled Ford Trophy Grand Final against Canterbury in between their last two Plunket Shield rounds, FREE admission from 11am, Tuesday 28 March at Napier’s McLean Park.

After debuting in the 2016/17 season, Boyle accrued 21 first-class appearances for Canterbury with a career best of 108, and steps up for the Stags for the first time alongside Hawke’s Bay teammate, uncapped young right-armer TOBY FINDLAY.

It’s the first time Findlay, a 19-year-old CD Under 19 and former CD Under 17 representative, has been named in a Stags squad in any format.

Findlay comes into the squad alongside Boyle and Manawatū’s homegrown CURTIS HEAPHY who were all in action for Central Districts A last week in a hard fought nailbiter against Northern Districts A in Levin.

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The Central Stags will have a game in hand after this week’s eighth round of the season - normally the final round of the first-class season.

The team’s fifth-round match against the Auckland Aces was originally to have been contested in Napier in February, but Cyclone Gabrielle saw that clash postponed and shifted to 1-4 April at Nelson’s Saxton Oval.

With a maximum of 20 points available from each match, including first innings points for reaching batting and bowling targets inside 110 overs, the Stags can reach a maximum of 107 points on the championship table.

Current leader Canterbury can reach 103, and the only other team ahead of the Stags, Northern Districts, can reach 99.

The Stags grabbed 18 of the possible 20 points from their stunning six-wicket Plunket Shield victory in Rangiora, while Canterbury saw their lead on the ladder slashed to just four points.

With the Stags’ premier allrounder DOUG BRACEWELL having been called into the BLACKCAPS Test squad, Nelson’s JOSH CLARKSON stepped up in the big match with his maiden first-class century (119 off 146 balls).

PHOTOSPORT

He followed it up with his first-class career best bowling, removing two key wickets to open the gate for the team to snaffle the last six Canterbury wickets for a cost of just 14 runs and bring the chance of victory into focus.

The Stags needed to chase down 141 to win, Clarkson’s aggression with the bat keeping the team on target in the last session.

Already established as one of the hardest hitters in New Zealand white-ball cricket, the 26-year-old showed he could treat the red ball with equal disdain, blasting 44 not out off just 22 balls in the second innings, fittingly striking the winning boundary to rocket the Stags back up the table.

This week’s opponent, the Otago Volts, meanwhile dropped out of contention in last week’s round, after a drawn result with the Auckland Aces (whose own title hopes remain alive, just) in Alexandra.

However, the Stags won’t be taking lightly a side that features such names as Dean Foxcroft, Hamish Rutherford and Jacob Duffy.

The match is free admission at Fitzherbert Park from 10.30am Tuesday until Friday, with livescores and a free livestream at cdcricket.co.nz

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CENTRAL DISTRICTS A will meanwhile be in action in a three-dayer against Wellington A at Johnsonville’s Alex Moore Park, the last CD A fixture of the 2022/23 season, with Horowhenua-Kāpiti pair BAILEY TE TOMO and ZACK BENTON on potential CD A debut.

Hawke's Bay's CD U19 rep SAM CASSIDY (above) has also been named in the squad for the first time, having previously played one match for CD A as a COVID-19 substitution.

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The Central Districts Māori squad to attend the inaugural National Men’s Māori Tournament in Whangārei at Easter will be named on 26 March.

2022/23 PLUNKET SHIELD

Round Eight*

CENTRAL STAGS v OTAGO VOLTS

Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North

10.30am • Tuesday 21 to Friday 24 March 2023

* Rescheduled Round 5 match to be played 1-4 April in Nelson

CENTRAL STAGS SQUAD

GREG Hay (c) — Nelson

TOM Bruce — Taranaki

JACK Boyle — Hawke’s Bay — uncapped

JOSH Clarkson — Nelson

DANE Cleaver (w) — Manawatū

TOBY Findlay — Hawke’s Bay — uncapped

CURTIS Heaphy — Manawatū

AJAZ Patel — Hawke’s Bay

BRETT Randell

BRAD Schmulian — Hawke’s Bay

BEVAN Small — Manawatū

RAY Toole — Manawatū

Head Coach: ALDIN Smith

Assistant Coach: GLENN Pocknall

 

CENTRAL DISTRICTS A v WELLINGTON A

Alex Moore Park, Johnsonville, Wellington

10.30am • Tuesday 21 to Thursday 23 March 2023

CENTRAL DISTRICTS A SQUAD

JAYDEN Lennox (c) — Hawke’s Bay

TYLER Annand — Hawke’s Bay

MA'ARA Ave (w) — Manawatū

ZACK Benton — Horowhenua-Kāpiti

SAM Cassidy — Hawke’s Bay

WILL Clark — Hawke’s Bay

BRETT Johnson — Hawke’s Bay

ANGUS Schaw — Hawke’s Bay

BEN Smith — Whanganui

BAILEY Te Tomo — Horowhenua-Kāpiti

BAYLEY Wiggins — Hawke’s Bay

Contracted players unavailable for selection:

BLAIR Tickner — Hawke's Bay (BLACKCAPS Test squad)

DOUG Bracewell — Hawke's Bay (BLACKCAPS Test squad)

SETH Rance — Wairarapa (shoulder surgery)

LIAM Dudding — Hawke's Bay (forearm injury)

JOEY Field — Hawke's Bay (shoulder injury)

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Article added: Monday 20 March 2023