Curtis Heaphy scored his second one-day ton | PHOTOSPORT

Curtis Heaphy sparkles in flat Central win

Posted Tuesday, 17 February, 2026 in Domestic News

Ostensibly a 22-run win by the Central Stags over inked-in Ford Trophy Grand Finalist Canterbury - whom they could potentially play again in Sunday’s decider - should have counted as a pre-emptive blow or, at the very least, some psychological point-scoring against the top qualifier.

But at the end of a long, hot and sticky day in Nelson on which the Canterbury tail wagged and got far closer than they should have to their 277 target, the Stags could well have done their opponent a favour by letting the squad get in some batting practice.

Ronnie Kapur got a maiden fifty at nine | PHOTOSPORT

Stags captain Jayden Lennox elected to bat first on a sluggish deck in the 10th round fixture at Saxton Oval between the only two sides that were already assured of progressing to the upcoming Finals in Wellington (the Stags to the 2v3 Elimination Final on Friday — now with the second qualifier spot inked in; Canterbury to Sunday’s Grand Final as top dogs).

Twice this season opener Brad Schmulian has carried his bat but this time it was his opening partner Curtis Heaphy who did so, building a stylish and adventurous second List A century.

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Their opening stand ended on 61 after Lachie Harper struck Schmulian on the ankle bone, the ball ricocheting off the bone onto his stumps and Schmulian limping off bowled.

The Stags will hope that their most prolific batter of the season recovers in time for Friday, but Heaphy held the fort.

Will Young (32) and Dean Foxcroft (30) gave him initial support with good, sensible stuff before falling to Matt Boyle and Michael Rae respectively, by which time the Stags were set at 171/3 and nearing the 35-over mark.

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Dane Cleaver’s 36-ball 48 enlivened the innings and matched Heaphy’s adventurous temperament — neither is averse to ramping against pacemen or an airborne pull shot, but wickets tumbled quickly after Rae had struck again to remove Cleaver at 238/4 - the Stags downing tools at 276/8 when 300 might have been on the cards.

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Still, Heaphy had held them together, finishing unbeaten on 117* with nine fours and a six.

Canterbury, who sport the competition’s two leading run-scorers in Henry Nicholls and Tom Latham, then lost their first three wickets in a hurry.

Chad Bowes was dismissed off Josh Clarkson’s first over for 1 and Nicholls was caught for the same after a brilliant catch running backwards from Heaphy, off Brett Randell.

Rhys Mariu became Randell’s next victim at the start of the seventh with Canterbury on the back foot early at 21/3.

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Flourishing in the back half of the comp with two centuries in a week, Latham got going again and was on the cusp of another brisk fifty when Ray Toole got the first of two big, quick wickets - he came back next over for Matt Boyle (37) in the 20th over and at 102/5, the Stags should have had Canterbury for dinner after that.

But they made it hard work for themselves, Blair Tickner again playing a limited role with just five overs and a strapped ankle, and Schmulian now on 12th man duties.

After a cameo from Mitch Hay, Ish Sodhi-lookalike Ronnie Kapur (previous best: nine not out) came in at nine and bludgeoned his way to a maiden fifty that included two sixes.

One rung above him in the order, Angus McKenzie (30) stayed with him initially for a 65-run eighth-wicket stand, and then the subsequent two stands with Fraser Sheat and Michael Rae respectively were both Canterbury List A partnership records for their matches against Central.

Kapur was left unbeaten on a 69-ball 60 and tailender Rae thumped his career best as well, 29 off 16 balls (three sixes) as Canterbury threatened to do something dramatic.

Randell (3/50) came back and got the last wicket in the 49th over and that was that.

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The 22-run win meant that the Stags are assured of finishing in the second spot as opposed to qualifying third and will therefore be the ‘home’ team in Friday’s knockout, against either the Wellington Firebirds or Northern Districts who play each other tomorrow.

But Canterbury should send them a thank you note for the workout, as they head home temporarily to their Christchurch training base to prepare for a possible threepeat and what they hope will be the perfect farewell on Sunday for outgoing coach Peter Fulton.

In the other round 10 match on Tuesday, the Otago Volts finished their season without winning a game, as they went down hard against the Auckland Aces - who were also playing their final match of the one-day campaign, destined to finish in the bottom three for 2025/26.