Three CENTRAL STAGS representatives have been selected in the New Zealand A men's squad - two of them for the first time - as the team gets ready to head to Bangladesh in May.

Rising batsman CURTIS HEAPHY and left-arm spinner JAYDEN LENNOX earn their first call-ups at senior national level, and joining them is allrounder JOSH CLARKSON whose sole previous New Zealand A appearance was a first-class match against Australia A in Brisbane in 2023.

A contracted BLACKCAP who has already represented New Zealand in three ODIs and eight Twenty20 Internationals, Clarkson gets an opportunity to push his case for further BLACKCAPS selections, after some bad luck with untimely injuries over the past two seasons.

Heaphy's call-up comes after his breakthrough summer in the 2024/25 Ford Trophy. The 21-year-old finished as the top one-day runscorer in the country, the only man to have scored more than 500 runs, and at a cracking 71.71 average. 

Curtis Heaphy and Josh Clarkson at camp | PHOTOSPORT

Heaphy has represented NZC's bespoke New Zealand Development side for internal fixtures in the past but, like Stags teammate Will Clark, belongs to the generation that unfortunately missed out on NZ Under 19 selection opportunities due to the impact of COVID-19 and travel restrictions.

The classy right-hander can also keep wicket and took home the trophy for Central Stags Ford Trophy Player of the Year at CD Cricket's annual awards earlier this month.

Overall, Heaphy averaged 36.21 in first-class cricket, 55.64 in List A one-dayers and 25.90 in T20s with high scores of 131, 142 and 78 in the respective formats.

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JAYDEN LENNOX meanwhile continued to step out of AJAZ PATEL's shadow in all formats across the latest season, and captained the Stags in The Ford Trophy for the first time.

He now has 55 List A wickets from 44 games, 52 T20 wickets from just 38 games - including a best of 4/15, and 35 wickets from 14 Plunket Shield appearances, including his maiden bag earlier this year.

Jayden Lennox at NZ A camp | PHOTOSPORT

The Stags trio has already attended two New Zealand Cricket training camps since the end of the first-class season, along with the rest of the fresh-look New Zealand A squad that  emphasises emerging talent.

Nine of those players already have a sprinkling of BLACKCAPS experience.

Wellington Firebirds captain Nick Kelly, who made his BLACKCAPS debut during the recent ODI series against Pakistan, will lead the team in the 50-over matches, while experienced Northern Districts batter Joe Carter will be the team's red-ball captain.

The squad will play three one-dayers and two four-day matches, the tour primarily based in Sylhet, with one match in Dhaka and all livestreaming details to be confirmed by Bangladesh Cricket in the coming days.

Livescores will be available at www.nzc.nz and on the NZC app.

The squad at NZ A camp | PHOTOSPORT

 

The squad will be coached by NZC staffer Bob Carter, with support from fellow NZC high performance coach Paul Wiseman and former Otago Volts assistant coach, Ben McCord. 

Carter said the squad was made up of a host of high potential players.

“We’re really looking forward to touring Bangladesh,” he said. “It’s been great to reward solid performers throughout the home summer.

Josh Clarkson now has three first-class centuries | PHOTOSPORT

“The squad’s an exciting mix of Domestic talent and international up-and-comers.”

Carter said the conditions in Bangladesh were going to provide learning opportunities.

“For several players, it will be their first time experiencing subcontinent conditions, which will be a great challenge and an opportunity to further their skillsets."

NEW ZEALAND A will also tour South Africa later this winter, with that squad yet to be selected.

NEW ZEALAND A

Josh Clarkson – Central Stags

Curtis Heaphy – Central Stags

Jayden Lennox – Central Stags

Nick Kelly – one-day captain, Wellington Firebirds

Muhammad Abbas – Wellington Firebirds

Joe Carter – four-day captain, Northern Districts

Kristian Clarke – Northern Districts

Adi Ashok – Auckland Aces

Ben Lister – Auckland Aces

Matt Boyle – Canterbury

Mitch Hay – Canterbury

Rhys Mariu – Canterbury

Zak Foulkes – Canterbury

Dean Foxcroft – Otago Volts

Dale Phillips – Otago Volts

2025 TOUR OF BANGLADESH

One-Day

3.30PM NZT • Mon 5 May • Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet

3.30PM NZT • Wed 7 May • Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet

3.30PM NZT • Sat 10 May • Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet

Four-Day

4PM NZT • 14-17 May • Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet

4PM NZT • 21-24 May • Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

It might be warmer in Bangladesh than in Lincoln... | PHOTOSPORT

Article added: Monday 28 April 2025