ROUND 6 of 10
AUCKLAND ACES lost to CENTRAL STAGS by six wickets
6 February 2025
Kennards Hire Community Oval, Auckland
Points: Auckland Aces 0, Central Stags 4
All images: PHOTOSPORT
SELECTED MILESTONES
- Harjot Johal, Lachie Stackpole, Quinn Sunde: List A debut
- Sean Solia: 2,000 List A runs
- Brett Randell: Third List A five-wicket bag (second for Central Stags)
- Tom Bruce: Second List A century
- Tom Bruce: List A career best score (139)
- Tom Bruce and Curtis Heaphy: Central Stags 4th wicket record v all teams (183)
The Auckland Aces headed into the resumption and back half of The Ford Trophy as the one-day leader, but now they were up against a rebooted Central Stags side that was fresh off winning the 2025 Dream11 Super Smash a few days earlier.
With Canterbury meanwhile clinching a thriller in Dunedin, the Aces found themselves bumped down to second on the ladder - after a clinical Stags run chase sealed a much-needed win for their visitors who meanwhile climbed up to fourth spot.
*
Literally months after their last Ford Trophy match, the Aces and Stags turned up to rumble at a warm and humid Kennards Hire Community Oval, the mercury rising across the afternoon on a stunning Waitangi Day.
Home skipper Sean Solia had no hesitation in batting first, in conditions that would not offer too much to the bowlers on either side.
The Aces headed in with a trio of debutants in this format - all three men having played various other formats for the team. Nineteen-year-old Lachie Stackpole was one of the new trio, but he was the first to depart in the third over of the day as Brett Randell picked up his first of five wickets for the day.
Keeper Dane Cleaver collected a good diving catch, and he would do the honours again to remove fellow opener Solia much later in the innings - the Auckland skipper having batted into the 29th over before he was dismissed on 69, again off Randell.
By then, the Aces were 160/4, still on for a good score despite a series of partnerships being nipped in the bud.
Powerful, experienced Cam Fletcher gave the innings impetus.
He strode in at the fall of Mike Sclanders in the 23rd over and stuck around until the last ball of the innings, reaching 80 off 76 deliveries.
But despite a little rust with the ball, the Stags kept finding a way to break the partnerships that came along.
Fletcher combined with debutant Johal for a 59-run stand, but Randell was meanwhile firing up for a big finish.
He took his last two wickets in the last three ball of the innings to walk off with a five-wicket bag: 5/57 off his 10 overs, his second bag for the Stags, and third overall in List A cricket.
The Aces's total of 285 meant the Stags needed almost a run a ball from the outset, but both the conditions and their red-hot batting form were in their favour.
It was a wobbly start. The Stags lost Jack Boyle and Brad Schmulian early, Gus Olliver (below) and Danru Ferns doing the damage and giving the Aces an early burst of excitement.
But Dane Cleaver counterpunched, and got the chase going in his trademark, punchy style - almost reaching a quick half century before his luck ran out at 86/3.
Enter Tom Bruce, who carried his impressive Super Smash form straight into The Ford Trophy.
Bruce took control and machined out his career-best one day century (139 off 124 balls) as part of a new Central Stags fourth wicket record partnership against all teams.
The previous partnership record of 147 had been shared between Bruce and Will Young, but with Curtis Heaphy (85 not out), he smashed it - their new record is now 183.
The Stags had needed their last 49 runs off 38 balls, but Heaphy's strokeplay was a treat as he brought home the win with two overs to spare.
But it was Bruce who was the Stags' player of the day. Surprisingly, it was just his second century in the limited overs format (having often batted below productive top order men like George Worker, Ben Smith and Young).
It left his previous PB of 100 in the distance as his form continued in all formats.
The Stags’ six-wicket victory lifted them above the Volts to fourth on the table, thanks to Canterbury's last-balll win in the concurrent match in Dunedin.
