2024/25
ROUND EIGHT
OTAGO VOLTS lost to NORTHERN DISTRICTS by 134 runs
NORTHERN DISTRICTS WON THE PLUNKET SHIELD CHAMPIONSHIP
University of Otago Oval, Dunedin
29 March-1 April 2025
POINTS IN THIS ROUND:
Northern Districts: 20
Otago Volts: 3
Wellington Firebirds: 18
Canterbury: 6
Central Stags: 17
Auckland Aces: 4
Photo: MBUTCHER
SELECTED MILESTONES
• Neil Wagner - final NZC Domestic first-class and Northern Districts appearance, 37th first-class five wicket-bag; this for Northern Districts
• Toby Hart - first-class debut, maiden first-class wicket
• Joe Carter - 11th first-class century (9th for ND)
• Scott Kuggeleijn - Fastest 50 (by balls faced in matches, in matches where this has been recorded) in NZ first-class cricket: 19 balls (previous record: Andre Adams 20)
• Matt Bacon - Career best first-class score (47 not out)
Photo: MBUTCHER
SNAPSHOT:
As Northern Districts lifted the Plunket Shield for the first time in 13 years, Neil Wagner bowed out on a magical winning note, the final page in a superb New Zealand Domestic career.
For most of the Northern Districts side, it had been a long wait to lift the maginificent antique silver and wooden trophy that last graced their Hamilton headquarters in 2012 - but Wagner had waited 17 years for this dream moment.
Many of the squad were first-time winners, and the emotion overflowed after having been pipped at the post last season combined with the reality that it was the end of their star paceman's career in this country, with a UK County stint to come likely to be his last games overall.
Now, finally, ND was across the line, and in style as the team of the season.
Jeet Raval, ladies & gentlemen! #PlunketShield pic.twitter.com/CoeV0Qvsej
— #NZIII (@MargotButcher) March 31, 2025
DAY ONE
Three teams were still alive as the last round commenced.
Northern Districts held a seven-point lead after seven rounds, but Canterbury or the defending champion Wellington Firebirds were also able to claim the Shield if ND didn't take things into their own hands and win outright here in Dunedin.
For the Otago Volts, allrounder Luke Georgeson was finally back as captain after a lengthy injury lay-off during which he had re-injured himself.
The hosts brought in another young debutant for the season as well, 21-year-old right-hander Toby Hart adding his maiden first-class cap to his sole List A appearance.
After a 45-minute ground delay as the predictable autumn dew made its presence felt, Georgeson won the toss and inserted ND, and the decisive match got underway.
Northern captain Jeet Raval had been standing up with both bat and ball through the back end of the season - his late-blooming leg-spinning feats - zeroing in on his pace bowlers' footmarks - going down a treat for his side in the absence of some of their regular spinners.
Now the 36-year-old got his team off to a positive start with the bat, producing a half century at the top, after his side had been two down before lunch.
PHOTOSPORT
At his side was Joe Carter (above), and its was the potent number four who went on to be the hero of the first innings, his unbeaten 129* by stumps taking the visitors through to 295/4 on the first day.
Raval had rarely been stumped in his career, so mark this one down. He had fallen on 54, stumped off Dean Foxcroft. Never mind - his side kept up the good work.
Keeper-batter Ben Pomare was 46 not out by the end of the day, his flowing locks escaping from under his helmet, having put on 98 for fifth wicket after the string of handy partnerships from the ND top order.
DAY TWO
Foxcroft had been sitting on 2/59 overnight, but it was a lengthy wait to get cracking again, after wet weather cost the entire first session and the likelihood of conditions favouring his spin bowling in the slightest was diminishing.
PHOTOSPORT
ND was eager to get going again, too, with the other key game meanwhile marching on, up in Wellington.
Finally, at 2pm after an early lunch up in the Otago Daily Times Stand, the teams got back on.
Volts paceman Andrew Hazeldine was quickly enjoying the fresher conditions.
He removed Pomare for no further addition to his overnight score of 46, then a few overs later got the overnight centurion Carter as well - Carter could find only a further nine runs to reach 138 before he was caught.
Northern was in good shape, however, at 326/6.
They were able to charge on to pick up their fourth batting bonus in the 107th over, now seven down - after a late order rampage with the bat from Scott Kuggeleijn and Neil Wagner.
Dealing in fours and sixes against Hazeldine and Matt Bacon, Kuggeleijn finished with an unbeaten 53* off a mere 32 balls, while Wagner let loose and enjoyed himself to be 21 not out off just 11 deliveries.
Kristian Clarke had enjoyed a burl as well, the allrounders' collective efforts enabling Raval to declare at 411/7 by 3.20pm.
By the time bad light brought a premature end to the rollicking afternoon, the Volts were 81/4 in reply, and Northern had capped off a good, adventurous day to put themselves in a position to potentially call the shots on 'moving day'.
Photo: MBUTCHER
Foxcroft and ex-ND scion Brad Kneebone would resume. Pacemen Wagner and Kuggeleijn, and slow part-timers Raval and Henry Cooper had all picked up handy late wickets.
DAY THREE
It was make or break day for Northern, eyes on the prize. After another 45-minute ground delay, Raval's men ripped into their work with both ball and bat.
Raval's revelations - or revolutions - with the ball this season continued.
He had taken his maiden first-class five-for against Auckland just two weeks earlier. Now he zeroed in one the footmarks again, ripping 4/20 off just 11 overs to help bundle out the Volts for just 145 - and still leaving Wagner to do the finishing with the last two wickets to fall.
Foxcroft had put up a fight for the hosts, with the sole half century of the innings. But the Volts were now squarely on the back foot - conceding 266 on the first innings.
Raval could have enforced the follow on, but decided on further bolstering his position with quick runs instead.
PHOTOSPORT
The team elevated Kuggeleijn to opener, and the allrounder did not let them down as he cracked and crunched a blistering 71 off just 26 balls.
Kuggeleijn's ballistics this time broke the national record for the fastest first-class half century by balls faced (19) in matches where this cheeky stat has been recorded.
Wagner also enjoyed an elevation, getting a turn at first drop in his final Plunket Shield innings and blitzing an unbeaten 27* off 11 balls, including three sixes.
Northern was enjoying this. And so was Wags.
Photo: MBUTCHER
After 11 whirlwind overs, Raval declared again at 140/2, for an overall lead of 406.
That set the Volts a steep fourth-innings target but also, crucially, left a good amount of time to get the 10 remaining wickets required for history - given the ground delays, peskiness of autumn conditions and small threat of more weather interruptions as cloud cover started to close in and threaten more bad light business.
The Volts were 120/3 by stumps, after Raval did it again. Anytime he aimed for the footmarks, the batters needed to be alert, but after three hours' toil, Jacob Cumming was dreadfully unlucky on 47 as he got a real corker.
He stared in disbelief as one jumped up and bit back onto his leg stump, while Raval just crossed his arms and waited for his bedazzled teammates to arrive and celebrate a special piece of cricket.
DAY FOUR
The Otago Volts required 287 runs off 98 overs (minimum) at 2.93 per over. That was about the only certainty as the teams arrived to another ground delay, with thicker clouds now parked over the Oval and ND Head Coach BJ Watling trying not to entertain the possibility of bad light quashing his team's dream in the wicket-hunt.
On certain days at Uni Oval, seven wickets on the last day might not have been an easy proposition, but this did not turn out to be one of those frustrating draws.
Instead Neil Wagner designed his perfect farewell, opening up proceedings in tandem with Kristian Clarke and only having to wait a couple of overs to take his first wicket of the morning (and second of the innings), tempting a catch off Dean Foxcroft.
Photo: MBUTCHER
He celebrated like it might be his final wicket, but fate had other plans.
Change bowlers Scott Johnston and Josh Brown came on for a burl from 153/4 and the latter soon snaffled a brace, taking care of both Jamal Todd (28) and Brad Kneebone a few overs down the track.
Josh Brown | Photo: MBUTCHER
A peppering of students were watching it all unfold, and had there been more, surely a chant of "we want Wags" would have broken out now that the Volts were six down.
Raval brought him back just three overs later, even without the bidding. Raval was on, too. He'd just tied down Matt Bacon for the 74th over, now Wagner was steaming in with the first ball of his new spell and - boom! A wicket first ball.
It was Thorn Parkes, another ex-ND Volts man, in dangerous form this season and having just ticked off his half century a couple of overs earlier.
Wagner enticed him to chase a delivery and the edge flew to the diving keeper Pomare: 214/7.
Now, Northern could almost taste it. Watling was still chewing his fingernails, glancing at the clouds as the light softened.
Andrew Hazeldine unfortunately lasted just the next two balls, retiring concussed after a Wagner delivery hit him in the side of his head. He sat on the pitch for some time, and was subbed out for concussion replacement Ben Lockrose.
Big Jarrod McKay was meanwhile officially the next man in; he lasted just a couple of overs before he became Wagner's fourth victim of the innings, bowled by a gorgeous in-ducker.
It all seemed to be spiralling downhill quickly for the hosts, especially after Wagner (5/53) quickly sent Lockrose packing as well for his fairytale five-for in his final innings with the ball.
He would bowl another few overs in tandem with Clarke, meanwhile Matt Bacon was going out fighting - treating Wagner with due respect, but dining out off Raval, sending him to the fence and over the rope at every opportunity.
Racing to an unbeaten 47*, this was Bacon's new first-class best.
Raval decided Henry Cooper, the other part-time spinner, could put up with Bacon instead. Perhaps the change would do the trick, still with plenty of time left in the match - more than half the day; but enough life memories of draws with bad light, or nine-down opponents, to make anyone a wee bit nervous.
Photo: MBUTCHER
Cooper took the ball for the 89th over. He only had to bowl three deliveries before the magic moment came - the debutant Toby Hart trapped after a valiant 26-ball eight.
Photo: MBUTCHER
The joyous celebrations begun. Then the handshakes. The looks of disbelief and relief.
And then Wagner started to walk off, and Raval called him back. Hold on, Wags!
The guard of honour quickly formed, from both teams, and an emotional Wagner marched on through for one last time off Uni Oval.
PHOTOSPORT
The fairytale career was complete.
See more from Neil Wagner's last day of NZ cricket
