At the midpoint of the men’s one-day championship, teams are all seeing one colour: red. Canterbury are current frontrunners in both the Plunket Shield, Ford Trophy and in the women’s one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield. Whatever’s in the water of the Avon River right now, the other sides would like some.
The red and black one-day lead is narrow, however - just one point in it, with a rampaging ND side full of allrounders breathing down their neck.
Our last Ford Trophy fixture before we break for Super Smash.
— Canterbury Cricket (@CanterburyCrick) December 13, 2020
Plenty of opportunities for some new faces with Ken McClure, Matt Henry and Todd Astle heading off for international cricket. #WeAreCanterbury #FordTrophy pic.twitter.com/T3PO1KhGF6
The midtable Volts are capable of joining them to form a competitive top bunch in this round; and the resurgent Firebirds are in touching distance if they can get another couple of good wins before crunch time when the top three are decided in February.
Today is the final round of the pre-Christmas action, round six of 10 after which the comp takes a break for Dream11 Super Smash time.
WEIGHING IN FOR A TON (OR TWO)
Ken McClure is a very greedy man.
There have been five one-day centuries so far this season and he’s helped himself to two of them, back to back. If he gets just one more, he’ll break the Canterbury record for most hundreds in a Ford Trophy summer. He could have ticked that off in the latest match had he been chasing a higher total at Pukekura, strolling off unbeaten on 61* for a win.
He won’t get a chance again today as the form horse has now caught the eye of selectors and thrown himself into the New Zealand A fixture against Pakistan A. He’s averaging 136.50 for the season - the highest in the land by about 18 kilometres - and has hit 31 fours and five sixes.
The usual suspects are responsible for the other three centuries. Not content with centuries for the Central Stags and Auckland Aces, Jeet Raval has gone and got one for Northern Districts, his first for his new side; while McClure’s teammate Chad Bowes has chalked up his first of the summer for Canterbury.
The Stags are languishing at the wrong end of the table, but George Worker and one-day centuries go together like chips and tomato sauce and he’s averaging 53.50 after tonning up at Pukekura Park yet again. Worker already held the national blokes’ record for most hundreds for a single team, so he broke his own record.
Most #FORDTROPHY centuries for each team 💯#CricketNation #LOVETHESTAGS 🦌 pic.twitter.com/qO9xKziJMe
— Central Stags 🏏 (@CentralStags) December 2, 2020
Unluggy? Take a bow, Hamish Rutherford who has been in cracking form.
The Otago Volt deserved to join that list at Pukekura Park but dipped out on 97, after back to back half tons he then sat out two matches with concussion. The popular veteran has been in solid form in both red and white ball cricket, but is probably a bit over getting out in the 90s against the Stags during his career. He’s in the top three average-wise, hovering around 80 with his teammate Nathan Smith.
Hot shot youngster Jakob Bhula is also a master of being unlucky against the Stags, with two scores in the high 90s against the side. It happened last season when the Firebirds lost and again at Fitzherbert Park this season when he got to hit the winning runs so it wasn’t the worst feeling in the world being stranded. Still yet to get that maiden ton, but watch this space.
Dark horse: Leo Carter. Consistent, in touch, two not outs from five knocks, looming high on all the key batting stats without making the above list, just yet. Honorary mention: Will O’Donnell can’t stop scoring half centuries, he’s racked up four in a row early doors in his Ford Trophy career and showing up his captain and big brother Robbie which is ballsy.
FIVE-WICKET BAGGERS
In a format where four wickets in an innings is considered an honorary five-for, several players have overachieved.
No one has overachieved more than Michael Rae who did something quite stunning as he came on for his death spell against the Auckland Aces at Outer Oval. Fifteen minutes later he walked off with Otago’s best ever one-day bowling figures, a wonderful haul of 7-35.
It was only the second time since 1970 that anyone had taken a one-day seven-fa for the Volts.
As mentioned already regarding Mr H.D. Rutherford, the Volts usually forget to put the lucky charm in the kit bag, however, so this would be the one game that the Auckland Aces actually won which was a bit of a mood dampener in the changing room for Razor for the hitherto unbeaten southerners.
Also impressing us greatly in the wickets column:
Canterbury’s Sean Davey 6-30 - on debut, no less, a dream debut indeed and just a whisker behind Canterbury’s best ever one-day figures which is the retired Ryan McCone’s 6-19 from 2014. Davey’s and Rae’s hauls are both up there among the best NZ hauls ever in The Ford Trophy. Sean Davey and Will Williams just behind them on nine.
ND’s Brett Randell with a career best 5-22 against the Aces in Whangarei. For the first time ever, Randell is the leading wicket-taker for the summer and is a whole four successful appeals ahead of Rae, with 14 from five innings at 18.85. Rae’s been on New Zealand A duties so his 10 at a mean, lean 13.60 come from just three innings.
Voltago Travis Muller continuing his good form from red-ball and picking up his maiden bag against the Stags at Pukekura Park with 5-34.
Congratulations to Travis Muller on his maiden 5-fa yesterday, plenty more to come!@travismuller10 #OurOtago https://t.co/SPtspch6HJ
— Otago Cricket (@OtagoVolts) December 2, 2020
Honorary mentions to Stags youngster Joey Field (4-42) and left-arm Ace Ross ter Braak (4-27), both in their debut seasons.
LOST BALLS RECORD
Central Stags opening batsmen are leading this one with already accomplished youngster Bayley Wiggins (one century and two half centuries - including a 98 - from seven career knocks) and his leftie mate Worker both having smoked nine sixes, and Rutherford right behind them on eight.
Photo: MBUTCHER
Most of those have been at Pukekura Park where the art of the flat-bat six comes into play. The Stags-Volts clashes also saw half a dozen Kookaburras lost in the local jungle or neighbouring houses.
OTHER RANDOM RECORDS | MILESTONES
Neil Broom has been part of the Domestic scene for so long now that he probably sets a record just by getting up in the morning. But racking up the most one-day appearances in Otago Volts history is way cooler. He has 111 now which is probably unluggy knowing the Volts. Believe it or not, Hamish Rutherford has a mere 53 by comparison. Broom also holds the career runs record for his side with 3818, having overtaken Craig Cumming (3187) some time back.
As mentioned, George Worker owns the centuries for one team department nationally, and he also has three of the top five ever Stags knocks, with his old mate Jamie How owning the other two. How still has the only double century (222 at Seddon Park, in a record opening stand with Jeet Raval who made his maiden ton at the same time) in The Ford Trophy and Worker has come close to getting there twice with past knocks of 194 and 181.
Northern Districts all-round veteran Anton Devcich achieved his 100th List A overall appearance in the latest round, and guess who is still the only ND player to take four wickets and scored a half ton in the same match? If you guessed Kane Williamson, you’d be right. A good one left for Devvy to shoot for.
