With two rounds to spare, defending champion Canterbury has become the first team to book a spot in this month’s national Ford Trophy Finals, after splitting the points in an Invercargill washout with the Otago Volts, while a good ND win against the Stags saw them overtake the Aces into fourth spot.
Still winless, the Volts are now destined to finish with the wooden spoon, but the race for the last two spots in the Cello Basin Reserve finals is otherwise still alive — for now.
The Central Stags remain in second spot, and are still capable of overtaking Canterbury in the last two rounds if they bounce back from their 69-run loss to Northern Districts in Hamilton.
Likewise the Wellington Firebirds — currently third, are also capable of qualifying top to take direct entry to the Grand Final.
Tom Blundell had an all-round day to remember | PHOTOSPORT
However, should Canterbury win one of their last two regular season rounds — either against the Firebirds this Friday or Stags on Tuesday next week, Canterbury will head straight into the 22 February Grand Final, leaving the two next best teams (TBC) to duke it out in the 20 February Elimination Final.
DAY OF THE YOUNG GUNS
ND’s 69-run win put the brakes on the Stags who had won both their matches after the Super Smash until coming up against the T20 champions at a humid, hot Seddon Park in the one-day format on Tuesday.
Sent in, Northern got off to an absolute flier, moving allrounder Scott Kuggeleijn up to open in place of Brett Hampton (missing from the squad for this round, presumably injured or unavailable).
Power from pinch-hitter Kuggeleijn | MBUTCHER
Kuggeleijn cracked 55 off 52, he and Katene Clarke putting on the first 60 runs inside just seven overs before Toby Findlay got one to jag back in and bowl the latter for a much needed breakthrough.
Findlay was in the Stags’ XI for the injured Blair Tickner (ankle) and Tickner’s absence was sorely missed. Still, the Stags’ trio of spinners — captain Jayden Lennox, Dean Foxcroft and Angus Schaw — eventually did a good job of stemming the damage through the middle.
Clarkson and Foxcroft | MBUTCHER
Foxcroft had a particularly strong day, later going on to top-score with the bat for the Stags. His first four overs produce a maiden, two wickets (one run out), just one boundary and barely any runs, turning in 1/32 off his seven overs as the seventh bowler used.
Left-arm paceman Ray Toole was also effective, but Northern was still able to get a 300-plus total after their strong start.
Xavier Bell | MBUTCHER
Their 309/8 featured maiden half centuries to 19-year-old rising stars Xavier Bell (66) and NZU19 World Cup rep Snehith ‘Lucky’ Reddy (55 not out) who formed an attractive 67-run stand.
Bell, at six, was striking the ball nicely and found five boundaries and two sixes, and was joined by spinning allrounder Reddy at 177/6.
Reddy finished unbeaten at better than run-a-ball after three fours and two sixes.
PHOTOSPORT
Elsewhere around the country, Oscar Jackson, the 21-year-old playing in just his third Ford Trophy match for the Firebirds, hit one of the fastest fifties in Ford Trophy history: 57 off 27 balls (10x4, 1x6).
Jackson’s maiden fifty in Auckland flew off just 19 balls.
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The only players to have hit faster one-day fifties in NZ men’s Domestic cricket are Tom Bruce (16 balls for Central Stags at Pukekura Park in the 2015/16 Final) and Adam Milne (18 balls for the Stags in 2021/22).
Pete McGlashan (for ND in 2007/08) and Shanan Stewart (for Canterbury in 2009/10) are the only others to have hit 19-ball fifties; the Firebirds winning their match in Auckland against the Aces by five wickets after chasing down a tepid 240/8.
In Invercargill, another rising star from the youth ranks was in for a frustrating day as rain prevented any action between the Volts and Canterbury.
Hugo Bogue, the 17-year-old ballistic batter from Queenstown, has been a consistent age-group star for the last couple of years and like Reddy, was fresh back from the ICC U19 World Cup in Zimbabwe where he got a knock of 39 against Pakistan U19.
It was the first time Bogue had been picked for the Volts in any format, but the game was washed out without a toss made and he remains without a debut as yet.
It was the southerners’ second washout of the campaign and they now head to Nelson hoping to find their first win of a forgettable summer at Saxton on Friday.
Canterbury will be at home at Hagley hosting the Firebirds who are looking to keep their momentum going after an up and down campaign.
History made today | PHOTOSPORT
Winning well in Auckland was just the ticket, and it will go down in the books also for wicketkeeper Tom Blundell’s maiden List A one-day wicket.
Blundell handed the keeping gloves to Peter Younghusband in the 40th over and after dotting down his first delivery, trapped dangerman Bevon Jacobs on 38 next ball — sparking ebullient hooting and hollering from his delighted teammates.
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It wasn’t very occasional off-spinner Blundell’s first victim in Domestic cricket overall — he has bowled in all three formats now, and took a Plunket Shield wicket many years ago in 2016/17. But this was his Ford Trophy first fillip, and he finished with 1/18 off five overs.
Nick Greenwood at fifth chnge had meanwhile stopped the Aces’ good start at the top with 3/24, and Jesse Tashkoff finished with three as well with the Aucklanders disappointed with their tally.
In the chase, young Jackson got the team cracking at first drop but after he was bowled by Adi Ashok, credit also goes to Mo Abbas (an unbeaten 53 off 80) and Blundell some more (49 not out off 31) who made sure the team raced home for the win in the 44th over, but not quickly enough for a bonus point.
The Stags were meanwhile all out in the 44th over in Hamilton, after Northern spinner Tim Pringle had broken a threatening century partnership between Foxcroft (72 off 56) and Josh Clarkson (66 off 59).
Josh Brown | MBUTCHER
Pringle finished with 4/29 off his 10 and while tall paceman Josh Brown made a good impact at the top and walked off with 3/51 as Northern did enough for the bonus in Hamilton.
ND now heads to their Whangārei home of Cobham Oval to host the Aces with those two teams now uncomfortably parked at fourth and fifth on the ladder.
All matches are free admission and livestreamed on NZC YouTube from 10.30am.
Points at a glance after 8/10 rounds (regular season)
30 Canterbury Q
23 Central Stags
21 Wellington Firebirds
17 Northern Districts
14 Auckland Aces
4 Otago Volts
ROUND 8 RESULTS
• At Seddon Park, Hamilton
Northern Districts 309/3 (50 ov) beat Central Stags 240 (43.3 ov) by 69 runs
Northern Districts: bonus point win (5 points)
• At Kennards Hire Community Oval, Auckland
Auckland Aces 240/8 (50 ov) lost to Wellington Firebirds 243/5 (43/5 ov) by 5 wickets
Wellington Firebirds: 4 points
• At Queen's Park, Invercargill
Otago Volts versus Canterbury - no result, no toss made
Two points each
