The bulk of the 2023/24 Central Stags professional roster is locked in with 15 of 16 contract spots for the coming season announced today.

Each year, all six teams around the country reveal their contracted men’s squad in two stages, and the Stags have two first-time names in this year’s first round.

The team will head into the new season as New Zealand’s double champions, having overcome the challenges and disruption of Cyclone Gabrielle earlier this year to win both the national one-day Ford Trophy and first-class Plunket Shield trophies.

It was the first time the Stags had won both these titles in the same season, many in the group having also achieved the first-class/T20 double when they won the 2019 Plunket Shield and Dream11 Super Smash.

Among today’s first-time contract recipients are opening batsman JACK BOYLE, who was previously contracted by Canterbury until 2021/22.

PHOTOSPORT

Boyle, 27, migrated to Central Districts ahead of last season. After having impressed for Hawke’s Bay, he made his Stags debut in both the one-day and first-class arena.

His first Stags century set up an outright win in Palmerston North in the penultimate round of the successful Plunket Shield campaign, and he helped to beat his old team in The Ford Trophy Grand Final in Napier in March a few days later.

Hawke’s Bay allrounder WILL CLARK, 21, joined the Stags’ professional ranks as a replacement contract during the past season. Today represents the first time he has been contracted from the outset of the annual contractual period that runs from 1 September until the close of summer.

PHOTOSPORT

BLACKCAPS Test spinner AJAZ PATEL returns to the Stags’ contracted group after having missed out on an NZC BLACKCAPS contract renewal for 2023/24.

Central Districts Manager, High Performance DAVE MEIRING noted that the two new names on the list so far this year had already made impressive showings for the Stags, and fitted in well with the group.

View the Stags' new world class training facilities at Mitre 10 Park here

“Jack made the most of his opportunities after moving to CD last season, and we were really impressed by the way he went about it — both in the CD A team, and in the Plunket Shield and The Ford Trophy with the Stags.

“We believe there’s more where that came from, and we’re excited to invest in him for next summer as a top order batsman.”

Clark came onto the contract list last season when Joey Field was ruled out for the entire summer by his shoulder injury.

“Will had made his debut for us in the Plunket Shield towards the end of the 2021/22 season, and stepped up again in the latest summer, playing in all three formats,” said Meiring.

“He’s an exciting young player who brings all-round skills as well as an ability to hit the ball hard, as we saw in Nelson with his explosive knock on the last morning of the Plunket Shield, scoring 41 off just 16 balls.”

SETH RANCE | PHOTOSPORT

Missing from last year’s contracted squad at this point are Wairarapa swing bowler SETH RANCE, veteran Whanganui batsman BEN SMITH, keeper-batsman MA'ARA AVE, and 19-year-old Manawatu batsman CURTIS HEAPHY (who also received his maiden contract part-way during the past season's contractual period after BLAIR TICKNER was elevated to a BLACKCAPS contract).

Meiring noted that Central Districts is continuing to support longtime Stag Rance through his injury rehabilitation process, following the major shoulder surgery that curtailed his 2022/23 season.

“In a perfect world, we’re hoping that Seth will be available for the team again in January 2024.

"He’s still very much part of our plans as we work through the process of getting him back to full strength, but not in a position to be contracted for the season this year.”

Following today’s first round announcements, a 10-day transfer window opens for uncontracted players throughout New Zealand to explore plying their trade elsewhere, before all teams announce their final contract spots on 20 July. The Stags have one spot to be filled.

Attention then turns to formalising the new season’s Central Hinds contract offers, while the Domestic playing schedules for 2023/24 will be released later this winter. The new season is expected to begin as usual with the first round of the first-class Plunket Shield defence in October 2023.

 Season 2023/24 • Professional Roster

 * first full-season professional contract

** first Central Stags professional contract

Season 2023/24 • BLACKCAP Contracts

NZC-contracted players who also play for the Central Stags when available

OTHER MAJOR ASSOCIATION CONTRACTS ANNOUNCED TODAY

AUCKLAND (15)

Adithya Ashok, Cole Briggs, Louis Delport, Danru Ferns, Cam Fletcher, Matt Gibson, Ryan Harrison, Harjot Johal, Simon Keene, Ben Lister, Robbie O’Donnell, Will O’Donnell, Sean Solia, Quinn Sunde, George Worker

NORTHERN DISTRICTS (15)

Joe Carter, Katene Clarke, Kristian Clarke, Henry Cooper, Matthew Fisher, Zak Gibson, Brett Hampton, Scott Johnston, Scott Kuggeleijn, Bharat Popli, Tim Pringle, Jeet Raval, Tim Seifert, Fred Walker, Joe Walker

WELLINGTON (15)

Muhammad Abbas, Nick Greenwood, James Hartshorn, Troy Johnson, Nick Kelly, Callum McLachlan, Iain McPeake, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Gareth Severin, Ben Sears, Michael Snedden, Nathan Smith, Peter Younghusband, Logan van Beek

CANTERBURY (15)

Chad Bowes, Matt Boyle, Leo Carter, Sean Davey, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Cole McConchie, Angus McKenzie, Ed Nuttall, Ken McClure, Will O'Rourke, Michael Rae, Michael Rippon, Fraser Sheat, Henry Shipley

OTAGO (15)

Matt Bacon, Max Chu, Jacob Cumming, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Luke Georgeson, Jake Gibson, Andrew Hazeldine, Llew Johnson, Ben Lockrose, Jarrod McKay, Travis Muller, Thorn Parkes, Dale Phillips, Hamish Rutherford 

- HOW IT WORKS -

Each year, all Major Associations (NZC-affiliated associations that play first-class cricket) announce their contracted players group in a two-step process, as defined by a pre-existing Master Agreement between NZC, NZCPA and the six Major Associations.

Sixteen male players per Major Association receive a Domestic contract for the forthcoming season. No fewer than 10, and up to 15, of these players are named per team in the first round.

This is followed by a Transfer Window open to uncontracted players, then Major Associations finalise and announce their remaining player contracts on 20 July — bringing the number of contracted male players for each team to 16.

Uncontracted players remain eligible to play for their team when selected. 

Article added: Tuesday 4 July 2023