SIXTH ROUND • 2022/23
CENTRAL STAGS beat the WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS by 18 runs DLS
McLean Park, Napier
18 December 2022
Selected milestones
Will Clark (Central Stags): List A debut
Callum McLachlan (Wellington Firebirds): List A debut
Tom Bruce: career best List A bowling (3-4)
The Stags and Firebirds headed into their second clash of the one-day season with the Firebirds holding the mental edge, after having already beaten the Stags at home once, in Palmerston North.
Now, a few weeks on, they converged on McLean Park for the first Ford Trophy fixture in Hawke's Bay this summer, just as wet weather swept across Aotearoa.
After overnight rain, the match was delayed by an hour, Firebirds captain Troy Johnson electing to bowl in a game that had been trimmed to 48 overs per side.
The Stags had lost Doug Bracewell from their initial squad to illness, uncapped (in white-ball) local allrounder Will Clark coming into the squad and playing XI, on List A debut.
He would go on to belt a quick 29 not out off just 19 balls to give the Stags a run rate boost in a game that was always destined to come down to DLS equations.
But first things first.
After a fairly miserable time of it on Stags debut in the previous round, ex-Canterbury opener Jack Boyle got a good start this time, and went on to post his first half century in the green shirt - the sixth of his overall one-day career, to go with several centuries during his Canterbury days.
All images: PHOTOSPORT
Boyle's 63 took the Stags into the 33rd over, and captain Tom Bruce (above) kept the momentum flowing with the top score of 80 - a whirlwind off just 66 balls as he and Clark looked to gain a mathematical advantage in a hurry, after a pivotal 88-run stand between Bruce and powerful Josh Clarkson.
Rain had been on its way back to the ground and an early lunch was taken when the Stags were 180/4 after 39.1. They resumed after the meal break to push that out to 268/6, in a match that had been reduced by a further over per side.
That set the Firebirds a DLS chase of 272 at a required rate of 5.79 off 47 overs, but there would be a further lengthy rain break when the visitors were 90/3, needing 182 runs off 29 overs at 6.28 at that point.
Seth Rance continued his impressive season with the ball, blasting out the wicket of Finn Allen early with a yorker, then removing Rachin Ravindra two balls later, caught and bowled.
The Firebirds had needed to rebuild in a hurry and, just before the rain arrived, Clarkson got an important further scalp in Firebirds captain Troy Johnson (30, above) who had built a 74-run stand with opener Luke Georgeson who remained unbeaten on 50 not out.
The Stags were ahead on the DLS when the rain came down at the 18-over mark, meaning a further two overs were required for a game result... the covers still on as the clock hands inched towards 7pm.
Finally, at six minutes to seven, the covers were peeled off again and the target was revised to 69 runs off 30 balls. The scene was set for a rollicking finish, while the Stags were after a win to go clear at the top of the table.
Spinner Jayden Lennox quickly had the set man Georgeson: 96/4, 64 still needed off 22 for Wellington with Nick Kelly joined by Tim Robinson. Kelly attacked for his first six. A few good tonks could make all the difference with these two crisp hitters at the crease.
The 20-over mark had been reached and Kelly immediately took another six, this time an edgy effort off Clarkson. And then another next ball, the Firebirds duo well aware of the urgency to overtake the DLS par score, Kelly taking 16 off the over in all in what was now a nailbiter.
The light beginning to go, Robinson holed out off Tom Bruce's first delivery next over: 38 off 11 required as Callum McLachlan came to the middle on debut. He was immediately caught by Stags debutant Will Clark, putting Bruce on a hat.
The equation was getting tighter for the Firebirds as Logan van Beek became Bruce's third victim in the desperation to hit big.
Now it was 34 off six, Bruce putting his faith in Clarkson. The last over went for 15 but that wasn't enough, the Stags winning by 18 and going to the top of the table to see out the year.
With Seth Rance now the top wicket-taker in The Ford Trophy and Stags teammate Dane Cleaver the top batsman, the men in green were flying into the T20s in strong shape.
