CURTIS HEAPHY, WILL CLARK and RAY TOOLE are all among the Central Stags Ford Trophy team looking forward to a return to New Plymouth for tomorrow's fourth round match against the Otago Volts at Pukekura Park.

Heaphy and Clark posted their maiden List A one-day half centuries at the ground last week, while bag man Toole took his first List A five-for as the Stags swept aside Canterbury in the second round.

A trip to Palmerston North for the following match against the Firebirds was a frustrating one as drizzle washed out the game in its entirety, the points shared, but the weather is looking more promising for the FREE admission one-dayer in Taranaki tomorrow.

PHOTOSPORT

This afternoon (Wednesday), the Stags will be hosting a FREE Meet The Stags Smash Play event at Francis Douglas Memorial College from 3.30pm to 5pm (after school, all ages welcome on the playing fields), then it's back to business in the morning with the toss scheduled for 10am.

Stability is the theme with the Stags squad unchanged from the last two rounds, but it's a big welcome back to coach BEN SMITH who has jetted in from England and is getting set to lead the group for the Dream11 Super Smash campaign.

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A former Central Stags representative himself, Smith will be Head Coach for the T20 campaign and warms up over the next couple of Ford Trophy one-dayers as Assistant Coach to GLENN POCKNALL before they switch roles.

Regular skipper TOM BRUCE and star allrounder DOUG BRACEWELL are both still out with injury while leading pace bowler BRETT RANDELL is unavailable with family commitments.

 

 

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With a mixed bag of a victory, a loss and a washout so far in the 10-round comp, the Stags are in the mid-table bunch at the moment on six points - the same as the Volts. Northern Districts holds a five-point lead that the Stags could reel in with a bonus-point victory tomorrow.

THE FORD TROPHY AFTER 3 ROUNDS
 

Northern Districts • 11 points

Auckland Aces • 8 points

Central Stags, Otago Volts • 6 points

Canterbury • 5 points

Wellington Firebirds • 2 points

After their first four matches all having been at home, the team will then be heading to Whangārei to take on the leaders ND in a big game on Tuesday 12 December.

Then everybody hits the pause button on their Ford Trophy campaigns, and switches into T20 mode for the first round of the Dream11 Super Smash until The Ford Trophy resumes in early February 2024.

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The Central Stags and Hinds begin their T20 campaign together on the road on 22 December, playing Northern Brave again - this time in Hamilton.

Then it's home to Palmerston North for the annual 27 December showcase at Fitzherbert Park, and the ever popular Pukekura Park in the lead-up to New Year's on 29 and 30 December.

The teams then dash down to Christchurch's Stagley Oval before the first Dream11 Super Smash matchday in Napier for two years, on 8 January with the Stags playing the afternoon game and the Hinds playing under lights against the Wellington Firebirds and Blaze.

 

The Central teams stay in Napier for another McLean Park matchday on 10 January, with the Hinds playing the afternoon game this time and the Stags under lights that evening against the Otago teams.

As always, CD Cricket recommends getting your tickets online in advance: not only will you save money on gate prices, but you'll avoid the big queues on the day so you don't miss any of the action.

We also have the BLACKCAPS playing at McLean Park and Nelson this month!

Tickets are on sale now at www.nzc.nz or treat yourself or your special people for Christmas in our 23 DEC ODI Hospitality Lounge and 27 DEC (under lights) T20 International Hospitality Lounge with packages for primo seating and all the trimmings in our Graeme Lowe Stand box.

versus

OTAGO VOLTS

FREE ADMISSION
 

Pukekura Park • New Plymouth

ROUND 4 • 10.30am

Thursday 7 December 2023

DANE Cleaver (captain, wicketkeeper) - Manawatū

JACK Boyle - Hawke's Bay

WILL Clark - Hawke's Bay

JOSH Clarkson - Nelson

LIAM Dudding - Hawke's Bay

CURTIS Heaphy - Manawatū

JAYDEN Lennox - Hawke's Bay

BRAD Schmulian - Hawke's Bay

BEVAN Small - Manawatū

BLAIR Tickner - Hawke's Bay

RAY Toole - Manawatū

BAYLEY Wiggins - Hawke's Bay

Coach: GLENN Pocknall

Assistant Coach: BEN Smith

Contracted players unavailable for selection:

WILL Young — BLACKCAPS Test Tour of Bangladesh

AJAZ PATEL — BLACKCAPS Test Tour of Bangladesh

TOM Bruce — Injury (hernia)

DOUG Bracewell — Injury (knee)

BRETT Randell — family commitments

JOEY Field — return to play process following shoulder rehabilitation

 

 

 

Article added: Wednesday 06 December 2023