JOSH CLARKSON has today been awarded a BLACKCAPS contract for the first time, joining felow Central Stags AJAZ PATEL and WILL YOUNG on the national roster.

Clarkson and uncapped Wellington Firebirds allrounder NATHAN SMITH have been named as the replacements for DEVON CONWAY - who opted for a casual playing agreement, and FINN ALLEN who declined an NZC contract offer to pursue franchise opportunities, last month.

The elevation to the NZC contract list continues an exciting year for crowd-pleasing Stags allrounder Clarkson.

The 27-year-old made his BLACKCAPS debut in December against Bangladesh, and has now chalked up three ODIs and six T20 Internationals for New Zealand.

PHOTOSPORT

The hard-hitter broke into BLACKCAPS contention off the back of a successful 2022/23 Domestic campaign where his all-round performances helped the Stags to lift both the Plunket Shield and The Ford Trophy, scoring a century in the one-day Grand Final.

Both players have also represented New Zealand at Under 19 level - at the 2016 ICC Under 19 World Cup in Bangladesh, alongside their fellow contracted BLACKCAPS Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Ben Sears.

Smith was named Men’s Domestic Player of the Year at the ANZ NZC Awards in March, and the fighting 26-year-old was a standout performer for the Firebirds in their successful Plunket Shield campaign earlier this year.

BLACKCAPS Head Coach GARY STEAD said the elevation of both players had come off the back of impressive recent performances.

“Nathan’s been on our radar for a while having been a significant performer in Domestic cricket for some time,” he said.

“He’s been particularly impressive in red-ball cricket and we think he has the skills to be successful in international cricket when he gets a chance.”

Stead said Clarkson had earned his opportunity based off the skillset he offered, and his recent international performances.

“Josh has been involved in both white-ball squads over the past 12 months which shows the strides he’s made in his game,” he said.

“He’s a hard-hitting player with plenty of skills, and has shown, in his chances so far, that he can offer a lot with bat and ball on the international stage.

“Josh will provide depth, and adds value given the volume of white-ball cricket on the horizon.”

Clarkson's elevation from the Stags' contracted roster means another vacancy opens up on the Central Stags contract list for 2024/25, with a replacement contract player to be named by CDCA in due course.

2024/25

Contract Offers - Updated

[ alphabetical order ]

Tom Blundell - Wellington Firebirds

Michael Bracewell - Wellington Firebirds

Mark Chapman - Auckland Aces

Josh Clarkson - Central Stags

Jacob Duffy - Otago Volts

Matt Henry - Canterbury

Kyle Jamieson - Canterbury

Tom Latham - Canterbury

Daryl Mitchell - Canterbury

Henry Nicholls - Canterbury

Will O’Rourke - Canterbury

Ajaz Patel - Central Stags

Glenn Phillips - Otago Volts

Rachin Ravindra - Wellington Firebirds

Mitchell Santner - Northern Districts

Ben Sears - Wellington Firebirds

Nathan Smith - Wellington Firebirds*

Ish Sodhi - Canterbury

Tim Southee - Northern Districts

Will Young - Central Stags

* Uncapped

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Article added: Tuesday 3 September 2024