2024/25
ROUND ONE
CENTRAL STAGS defeated OTAGO VOLTS by 8 wickets with a day to spare
McLean Park, Napier
11-14 November 2024
POINTS IN THIS ROUND:
Central Stags: 19
Otago Volts: 4
Auckland Aces: 16
Wellington Firebirds: 6
Northern Districts: 19 (20 minus a deduction for slow over rate)
Canterbury: 8
SELECTED MILESTONES
Hunter Kindley: first-class debut (Otago Volts)
Zac Cumming: first-class debut (Otago Volts, below)
Leo Carter: first-class debut for Otago Volts (previously Canterbury)
Dane Cleaver: 8th first-class century (seventh for Central Stags)
Max Chu and Jake Gibson: 9th wicket record partnership for Otago Volts in matches v Central Stags (108; previous record 92 by Don McKechnie and Lance Cairns at Carisbrook, Dunedin, 1976/77)
Max Chu and Jake Gibson never gave up the fight | MBUTCHER
SNAPSHOT:
A depleted Otago Volts red-ball team with three new caps (and a further uncapped player carrying the drinks) faced a more settled Central Stags line-up that looking to continue the sourtherners' pain at McLean.
The Stags had inflicted an innings defeat on the same opponent at the same ground in the last match of 2023/24 here in March, and had a chance of an action replay in this match.
But the Volts put their hosts under some pressure early on and it took a gritty partnership and drought-breaking 151* from Stags wicketkeeper-batter Dane Cleaver to put Central back in the driver's seat on the second, pivotal afternoon.
Ultimately, the Stags let the prospect of another innings victory slip through their fingers, but they would need to chase down just 31 to win outright on the third afternoon.
DAY ONE
New full-time Stags captain Tom Bruce lost his first toss and was asked to bowl by new Volts first-class captain, Luke Georgeson as the new summer of first-class cricket began on time on a picture perfect Hawke's Bay morning.
The good weather had turned up for the opening match, in a season in which one-dayers had preceded long format cricket in New Zealand Domestic cricket for the first time in three decades, the first-class season starting weeks after Labour Weekend.
The visiting southerners were in for a testing early period after having elected to bat, Brett Randell on point for the Stags' attack, and swing prevalent in the first hour.
First-class debutant Hunter Kindley had an unfortunate entrée to Domestic cricket, dismissed off Randell's second ball of the match for no score, and his opening partner Thorn Parkes didn't fare much better - he became Blair Tickner's first wicket soon after at 7/2.
Brett Randell | PHOTOSPORT
The Volts would lose early wickets in both innings of this match, a costly transfer of weight to a more experienced, but burdened, middle to lower order in which wicketkeeper-batter Max Chu would need to stand up both times.
Two of the Volts' key players, Dean Foxcroft and Jacob Duffy, were away with the BLACKCAPS, while the Stags were without Ajaz Patel, Will Young and Josh Clarkson - local Hawke's Bay proviincial record-setter Angus Schaw coming into the playing XI for his first game of the season, after having debuted earlier in the year.
Randell whistled to 4/21 off just 11.1 overs and looked for all money as if he'd soon have another career bag at McLean Park, perhaps even before lunch.
PHOTOSPORT
The Volts got some unexpected respite, however, when the new-ball classicist was ruled out of the attack for the rest of the match with a hamstring injury at the start of his 12th.
He was there long enough to help make sure the Volts were five down before lunch, the visitors still needing to chalk up 100 runs on their card.
Blair Tickner then got the big wicket of Leo Carter (on Volts first-class debut after many seasons with Canterbury) after a much-needed 38 from Carter - but falling too soon after the lunch break.
Resilient Max Chu | PHOTOSPORT
It was to be a match for the wicketkeeper-batsmen to take charge on either side, Otago's Chu standing up to make the Stags work harder across the middle session.
Chu had come in at 74/5, losing a couple of partners as the Volts qiuickly sunk to 105/7.
But, he found lively support from number 10 Travis Muller, and the pair put on the biggest stand of the innings: a partnership of 71 for the ninth wicket.
Travis Muller | PHOTOSPORT
Ticker had three by now, the seamers with all the succes but when Bruce turned to spinner Jayden Lennox before tea, it brought the wickets he wanted.
After his useful contribution, Muller was caught behind after his valuable hand of 31 and, a few overs later, Chu became the final wicket of the innings when he was stumped by his opposite number on 85.
The Volts were all out for 203 by tea: a good recovery, in context. However, the Stags had the maximum bowling bonus points, while the Volts scraped a batting point and now needed a big start with the new ball, after the break.
They got it: busy Muller soon sent Curtis Heaphy back to the dressing room, and fellow opener Jack Boyle fell cheaply to Georgeson.
When Jarrod McKay had Brad Schmulian caught behind off a feather at 54/3, the in-form Stags top order was gone, and captain Bruce didn't last much longer himself, caught off Jake Gibson at 56/4.
The Volts were pinching themselves at this point, Cleaver yet to get off the mark when he was joined by Jayden Lennox as the nightwatcher.
The Stags ended the day on the back foot at 63/4, 14 wickets having fallen on the day on a deck with no particular demons.
DAY TWO
A morning session that could have steered the match in Otago's favour instead proved to be a plinth of recovery for the Stags who lost just a single wicket, nightwatcher Lennox falling not long before lunch.
It was the longest the left-arm spinner had batted at this level, and he and Cleaver put on 81 for the fifth wicket. Just as importantly, they had deflated the Volts' bubble of excitement from the previous afternoon.
Dale Phillips broke the stand in just his second over of spin, Lennox caught for 35 by captain Georgeson. At lunch, the Stags were 143/5 and it was still game on.
New batter Will Clark looked to elevate the tempo in the middle sesssion. His breezy 41 flew off just 67 balls and took some pressure off Cleaver who began to scan the boundary.
Their stand sped along to 90, but was cut off almost as suddenly by that man Muller, who got one through Clark's defences and onto the woodwork when the allrounder was on 41.
With injured Randell dropping down the order, it would be left to Tickner to get Cleaver to his century.
It was the keeper's first in several seasons in the Plunket Shield, at the same ground where he had scored a double century for his team in a golden patch that also saw him produce a double ton for New Zealand A.
Tickner congratulates Cleaver | MBUTCHER
It was brought up with a flourish - typical Cleaver style, as he obtained lift-off in a lofted cut to the rope.
When the hosts shifted into the lead, Cleaver had been responsible for the entire 129-run margin of it - and he carried on to cash in with an impressive unbeaten 151*.
It was when he was on 120* that Cleaver fever really took hold. Out came the reverse sweeps, flamboyant pulls and ramps, deep in the last session now and no doubt with captain Bruce wanting a second crack at the Volts before stumps.
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Bruce declared at 359/9 for a first innings lead of 156, and quickly got some reward with two quick wickets falling in the remaining five overs of the day.
Cleaver couldn't stay out of the action. He snaffled a snazzy leg-side catch to dismiss opener Thorn Parkes, while nightwatcher Muller last just six balls before Brad Schmulian tricked him into despatching a catch to the only man outside the circle.
The Volts would be looking to resume at 3/2 on the third morning, trailing overall by 153 with debutant Kindley off the mark on three not out.
A second nightwatcher was on overnight duty at the other end.
DAY THREE
Greeted by not a cloud in the big blue sky, a stormy and calamitous morning awaited the Otago Volts all the same at McLean Park, as their second innings imploded from the top down.
Even with the qualifier that two nightwatchers had been elevated, it made for sorry reading as they crumbled to 72/7 by lunch. At one point, that had been an even sorrier scorecard at 44/7.
Hard-working pacemen Toole (an economical 2/18 off the left-armer's 14 overs) and Tickner (3/40) did most of the damage, shouldering most of the pace workload in the absence of Randell.
MBUTCHER
The luckless debutant Hunter Kindley managed to break his bat (a borrowed one, at that) against Tickner's heavy ball, before he fell.
Angus Schaw took an outstanding running catch in the outfield to dismiss Llew Johnson, the seventh to fall, with Johnson unable to resist the tempatation to hit it in the air.
After the dramatic morning session, the Otago Volts lost a further wicket after lunch to become eight down - a big loss it was too, as Leo Carter was caught behind off Toole on 17.
Then, they got to relax, somewhat.
Max Chu top-scored with fighting fifties in both innings | MBUTCHER
A series of dropsies in the field let a partnership between Max Chu (66) and Jake Gibson (62 not out) develop, with both men going on to half centuries - Chu top-scoring for the second time in the match.
They shared a record century stand for the ninth wicket for their team against Central, as Stags captain Tom Bruce shuffled through his spin options: Jayden Lennox, Brad Schmulian, Angus Schaw, and himself - to rest his understaffed pace attack in the injured Randell's absence.
Chu showed the way to grind out a score was to play along the deck, and he was watchful. His first-cinning fifty had come off 58 balls, and this time it was 112.
They reached 173/8 by tea - the Stags now needing to bat again; but ultimately the underdogs were all out before the new ball was due. Schmulian (2/26) and Lennox (3/49) wrapped things up in consecutive overs.
So after the wait, the Volts were finally all back in the hutch for 186, in 79.5 overs.
Lennox celebrated breaking the record rearguard stand | MBUTCHER
Now, just 31 runs were needed by the hosts in the sun-soaked last session: a doddle.
The race was on between themselves and the teams duelling in Wellington as to who would chalk up the first outright of the season, and the Stags won that one, too.
But the Volts picked up a couple of consolation wickets, leaving it to Bruce himself to bring home the winning boundary, in his first match as full-time captain to tick off a near-perfect start for the Central Stags.
Stags take it inNapier this evening.
— Otago Cricket (@OtagoCricket) November 13, 2024
Scorecard here | https://t.co/tD9ZVAoTCY pic.twitter.com/DpVUpE2eDu
The Central men now head to their alternate home ground of Saxton Oval in Nelson to host Canterbury next week, while the Volts will be at home in Dunedin against defending title-holder the Wellington Firebirds.
All matches are free admission.
