Championship week is here, our CENTRAL STAGS naming their squad for the decisive Plunket Shield match in Nelson that is set to start this Saturday at Saxton Oval.

It's the last match for 2022/23, and the equation is simple: if the Stags win, they add the coveted Plunket Shield to the trophy cabinet, fresh off winning New Zealand's one-day Ford Trophy on Tuesday.

With the white-ball celebrations behind them, the Stags have quickly refocused on their next assignment in what is effectively a Plunket Shield Final.

Since the back half of the first-class national championship resumed in February, the Stags have narrowly lost an outstanding game in Mount Maunganui, and then taken the maximum 20 points from Rangiora against Canterbur and Palmerston North against the Otago Volts.

Canterbury (101 points and season completed) is the only team left ahead of the Stags on the table. The Stags have 87 points from seven rounds and need only an outright win (worth 12 points) and two of the eight first-inning bonus points to snatch the Shield, as number of wins is the second separator.

This week's 'final' is a 'catch-up' round that was originally set to be played after Cyclone Gabrielle struck in February.

It will see the Stags go up against defending champions the Auckland Aces, who have meanwhile had a lacklustre season, with just two wins.

But Martin Guptill will make a rare red-ball appearance for their last match in Nelson, with a number of regular faces from both teams now playing for the BLACKCAPS or New Zealand A.

For the Stags, WILL YOUNG and BLAIR TICKNER remain away with the BLACKCAPS, and now TOM BRUCE, AJAZ PATEL, DOUG BRACEWELL and (pending his return from concussion) BRETT RANDELL are all unavailable due to the concurrent New Zealand A series in Lincoln against Australia A, where Bruce is captaining New Zealand.

But there's plenty of talent and form left over. The Stags' two Nelson-based players, Plunket Shield captain GREG HAY in his 97th first-class appearance, and JOSH CLARKSON - fresh off career-best centuries in both formats this month, are both potential match-winners.

Josh Clarkson | PHOTOSPORT

They're joined by Mr. Consistent BRAD SCHMULIAN who was the Stags' top run-scorer in the successful Ford Trophy campaign, and second overall in the country, and is also in the top six Plunket Shield batsmen nationally in the first-class game.

Schmulian has already scored a double ton at Saxton Oval this season and now brings 555 Plunket Shield runs at a 42+ average plus that season best of 200 not out to the final fixture at the teams' beautiful South Island home ground, where admission is free every day to see the historic Plunket Shield decided.

Brad Schmulian | PHOTOSPORT

The competition began way back in 1907, and the Stags last lifted the antique silver and wood trophy in Hay's first season as captain, 2018/19.

They had gone back-to-back, and stood a strong chance of a threepeat until the emergence of COVID-19 saw their last two matches in 2020 cancelled.

After having moved from Wellington to Central Districts ahead of this season, legspinning allrounder BRETT JOHNSON has already debuted for the team in the Dream11 Super Smash and Ford Trophy campaigns, and now stands a chance to make his overall first-class debut after having come into the Plunket Shield squad for the first time.

Fellow Hawke's Bay reps JAYDEN LENNOX and LIAM DUDDING come back into the Plunket Shield squad. Dudding returned from injury to run the drinks in Tuesday's Ford Trophy Final.

 

Liam Dudding | MBUTCHER

 

Central Districts Manager, High Performance DAVE MEIRING said Johnson had pushed his case through consistent results for the Central Districts A side.

"Brett is coming off solid performances for both Hawke's Bay and for CD A.

"He took a bag of 5/57 for CD A against Northern Districts A earlier this month and then was the leading wicket-taker for the team again in the weather-shortened match against Wellington A last week.

"He gives the Stags another spinning option [with Patel away], and his previous experience with the team will see him slot in nicely.

Experienced Dudding's timely return to the squad meanwhile sees last week's debutant, 19-year-old paceman TOBY FINDLAY, miss out on the squad this time around.

"Toby made an impressive debut for the team under unusual circumstances [as the first player to gain a first-class debut mid-match as a concussion substitute] in Palmerston North and I have no doubt that experience will stand him in good stead for the future."

Before the team's previous Plunket Shield fixture, there were four teams left alive in the competition.

Now it's down to just two, and the Stags want to give themselves more than a 50/50 chance over the next four days.

The game will also be a significant one for the out of contention Auckland Aces who are looking to not only end their own season in style, but get a winning farewell for their retiring Test spin bowler, Will Somerville.

The match is free admission at Saxton Oval from 10.30am this Saturday (scheduled toss at 10am, although rain is expected), while the start times on Days 2, 3 and 4 will be 10am after daylight saving ends.

There will be livescores and a free livestream at cdcricket.co.nz

2022/23 PLUNKET SHIELD

CENTRAL STAGS v AUCKLAND ACES

Saxton Oval, Nelson

10.30am • Saturday 1 to Tuesday 4 April 2023

Round 5*

* Rescheduled Round 5 of 8, with all other matches completed

CENTRAL STAGS SQUAD

GREG Hay (c) — Nelson

JACK Boyle — Hawke’s Bay

WILL Clark — Hawke’s Bay

JOSH Clarkson — Nelson

DANE Cleaver (w) — Manawatū

LIAM Dudding — Hawke’s Bay

CURTIS Heaphy — Manawatū

BRETT Johnson — Hawke’s Bay, uncapped, potential first-class debut

JAYDEN Lennox, Hawke's Bay

BRAD Schmulian — Hawke’s Bay

BEVAN Small — Manawatū

RAY Toole — Manawatū

Head Coach: ALDIN Smith

Assistant Coach: GLENN Pocknall

Contracted players unavailable for selection:

BLAIR Tickner — Hawke's Bay (BLACKCAPS)

WILL Young — Taranaki (BLACKCAPS)

DOUG Bracewell — Hawke's Bay (New Zealand A)

TOM Bruce — Taranaki (New Zealand A)

AJAZ Patel — Hawke's Bay (New Zealand A)

BRETT Randell — (New Zealand A)

SETH Rance — Wairarapa (shoulder injury)

JOEY Field — Hawke's Bay (shoulder injury)

AUCKLAND ACES

Ben Horne (c, w)

Cole Briggs

Louis Delport

Danru Ferns

Matt Gibson

Martin Guptill

Ryan Harrison

Will O’Donnell

Will Somerville

Quinn Sunde

Ross Ter Braak

George Worker

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Article added: Friday 31 March 2023