BLACKCAPS return for Ford Trophy

Posted Sunday, 2 November, 2025 in Domestic News

It's a big third round this Monday in Dunedin, Christchurch and Hamilton, including a rematch of last year's Grand Final between defending champs Canterbury - who have BLACKCAP Tom Latham back - and the unbeaten Auckland Aces.

The first week of the national men’s cricket competition produced two BLACKCAPS call-ups (recalled Blair Tickner and uncapped Kristian Clarke) and only one unbeaten team as early leader the Aces made the most of their two early home one-dayers.

Bonus points to boot mean young new captain Adi Ashok is off to a flier, with a perfect tally of 10 points from two rounds in the 10-round regular season, while a second-spot logjam features Canterbury, Northern Districts and the Central Stags, all with one big win and one loss to sit on five points apiece.

PHOTOSPORT

The Wellington Firebirds are just behind, after veteran Peter Younghusband’s career-best batting heroics helped to secure a tight first win against Canterbury in Wellington on Thursday; and the unchanged Otago Volts are dead keen to get their first win in their first home match of the summer in Dunedin tomorrow (Monday) against the dangerous Stags.

It won’t be easy, with the Stags regaining Blair Tickner on a heater, coming back from two back-to-back Player of the Match performances in the Chemist Warehouse ODI whitewash of England.

Top order batter Will Young also returns for them; he showed his brilliant fielding in that series but will be keen to get back into run-scoring mode at University of Otago Oval tomorrow.

The Firebirds are back on the road to play Northern Districts in Hamilton where ND bowling allrounder Kristian Clarke will presumably be pumped up and full of confidence after his maiden century against the Stags on Thursday followed by an unexpected call from the BLACKCAPS that evening to join the squad for last night’s third ODI.

PHOTOSPORT

Clarke thought his breakthrough century wasn’t pretty, but it’s not the first time he’s blasted his side to an important win in the late order.

When he was at the 2020 ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa, Clarke (batting at 10) and Stag Joey Field (at nine) rescued New Zealand U19 Men from eight down in a big chase by putting on a matchwinning World Cup record unbeaten 86-run ninth-wicket stand, knocking out the West Indies to take New Zealand through to the semi-finals.

Clarke took four wickets in that match as well, and he’s taken five bags across the List A and first-class formats, but Thursday’s knock in New Plymouth was his first century in any format as he pushes his case for a genuine allrounder tag.

Maiden 100 one-day, maiden @BLACKCAPS one-day call-up the next for Kristian Clarke 👏‍👏‍👏‍ pic.twitter.com/4YhS4oXrc9
— #NZIII (@MargotButcher) October 30, 2025

He seized his opportunity after a rain break made life more difficult for the Stags’ pacemen there, unleashing a late cascade of sixes in his 100 not out — one of which had to be fished out of the Pukekura Park lake.

It was his second unbeaten contribution, after 37 not out in Auckland, but “definitely very grindy at the start,” the 24-year-old admitted.

“CD was bowling very well, and we had to soak up the pressure [at 55/5], but we knew if we stayed in, had enough wickets at the back end, we could catch up.”

Northern finished with The Ford Trophy wooden spoon last season (but memorably won the first-class Plunket Shield), with only one win from nine starts.

Another victory tomorrow will help banish those memories further.

Says Clarke, “It was definitely good for the team to get a win, coming off last season which wasn’t a good one, and then the first game this season which didn’t go our way against Auckland.

PHOTOSPORT

“We were very happy to get over the line and now we’re looking to continue the momentum at Seddon against Wellington. It should be a good game.”

The Firebirds bounced back from their opening round loss against the Stags to hand Canterbury their first defeat on Thursday, and opening pace bowler James Hartshorn is one to keep an eye on.

Having played only a handful of white-ball matches for the Firebirds since 2020, Hartshorn announced himself with a Super Smash 5/24 on T20 debut in Nelson a couple of years ago.

With Adam Milne sidelined, Hartshorn has taken his opportunity to grab back-to-back career best one-day figures against his father David’s old teams, with of 2/48 versus the Stags at Pukekura and 3/57 against Canterbury this season.

PHOTOSPORT

Defending champion Canterbury will be keen to get back on the horse at Hagley tomorrow as they continue a threepeat quest - in a rematch of last season's Grand Final against the Auckland Aces.

Their opponents are now without a trump card in Jimmy Neesham who racked up his 150th List A appearance in Auckland's latest win.

Only 13 of those matches have been for the navy blues, but Neesham was instrumental in propelling the Aces into last year’s Grand Final after his explosive hundred ousted the Stags in the Elimination Final.

In Dunedin, local interest will centre in the head-to-head between Volt-sturned-Stag Dean Foxcroft in his first match against his old team and Stag-turned-Volt Jack Boyle.

All matches tomorrow are free admission and scheduled to start at 10.30am, with livescores at www.nzc.nz and on the NZC app, and free livestreams to follow at NZC YouTube.

ROUND TWO RECAPS

• Auckland Aces beat Otago Volts by 95 runs

Scorecard

• Central Stags lost to Northern Districts by 113 runs

(DLS, 49 over match)

Scorecard

• Wellington Firebirds beat Canterbury by 2 wickets

With 6 balls remaining

Scorecard

HIGHLIGHTS

• Kristian Clarke maiden unbeaten century

• A thriller at the Cello Basin Reserve