ROUND 2 of 10
NORTHERN DISTRICTS defeated CENTRAL STAGS by 8 runs
23 October 2024
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth
Points: Northern Districts 4, Central Stags 0
SELECTED MILESTONES
- Tim Seifert: fourth List A century
- Brad Schmulian: third List A century
- Brad Schmulian career best score (126)
- Jack Boyle: fifth List A century, first for Central Stags
- Brad Schmulian, Jack Boyle, highest second-wicket partnership in matches against ND (217) and second highest Stags second-wicket partnership overall
After two rounds of the 10-round regular season, the Central Stags are now the only winless side, after another tough encounter at Pukekura Park.
Even a record second-wicket stand from centurions Brad Schmulian and Jack Boyle couldn't get the frustrated Stags a win - after a Tim Seifert century led the way in the first innings for Northern Districts, in ND's first victory of the season.
It was also another match for the Stags that finished late, when the evening shadows stretched across the pitch block, as two teams fought to the bitter end. Ultimately, there were only eight runs in it after both teams put big runs on the board: 352/8 playing 344/8.
The day had started with a 90-minute weather and ground delay, after a few pesky morning showers. When things got going at last, ND skipper Jeet Raval won the toss and elected to bat, in what became a reduced 44-over game.
The clipping of a dozen overs didn't stop the Central Stags and Northern Districts trading blows in a high-scoring last-over thriller, however.
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As we mentioned, three centuries were scored, Northern's Seifert top-scoring for the visitors with 102 in their robust total of 352/8 - with solid and explosive support from Henry Cooper (blasting 92 off only 61 balls) before a good catch from Tickner ended his hopes of three figures, and the brisk 142-run partnership for the fourth ND wicket.
After losing opener Curtis Heaphy at 13/1, the Stags responded with a grand, 217-run second-wicket stand - a record for them in their matches against Northern, and just short of the overall Stags second-wicket record of 224, belted in Nelson a few years back by Ben Smith and George Worker.
Brad Schmulian was last season's top Stags run-scorer with his first two hundreds in this format, and he now found his third Ford Trophy hundred with a well crafted, career-best 126 off 101.
Impressively, it was his third ton in the space of just five Ford Trophy matches.
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Jack Boyle meanwhile broke a personal drought. He added his first Stags List A ton (104 off 99 balls) to his previous four tons for Canterbury and one for a New Zealand XI against India A, all scored in a golden run several seasons ago.
A total of 36 sixes were slammed in the match between the two teams, and the Stags kept their foot in the door to the death.
However, a flurry of late wickets left tailenders (and T20 10th wicket record-breakers against the same team last season) Jayden Lennox and Blair Tickner needing to find some unlikely last-over heroics.
After a long wait for wickets, the collective fightback from ND's Kristian Clarke, Brett Hampton and Neil Wagner shut the Stags out at the death, with the equation going out of reach on the second to last delivery of the last over.
So a good contest, but the chocolates all went to the maroon dressing room ahead of Saturday's third round of the regular season competition in Wellington (Firebirds v Stags), Mt Maunganui (Aces* v Volts) and Christchurch (Canterbury v ND).
