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.
A good ND win against the Stags in Hamilton meanwhile saw them overtake the Aces into fourth spot, while the Stags hold onto second with two big rounds remaining.
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 very much alive — with all eyes on this Friday's penultimate round.
The Stags are still capable of overtaking Canterbury in the last two rounds if they bounce back quick from their jarring 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 22 February Grand Final at the Basin.
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 main 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 in the one-day back half, until coming up against the freshly crowned T20 champions at a humid, hot Seddon Park in the one-day format yesterday.
Sent in, Northern got off to an absolute flier, having elevated allrounder Scott Kuggeleijn up to open in place of fellow allrounder 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 and bowl the latter for a much needed breakthrough.
Findlay was in the Stags’ XI for 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, going on to top-score with the bat for the Stags.
His first four overs with the ball produced a maiden, two wickets (one run out), just one boundary and barely any other runs, turning in 1/32 off his seven overs as the seventh bowler used.
Left-arm paceman Ray Toole was also effective in toning down Northern's early assault, but Northern was still able to get a 300-plus total after their strong start.
Xavier Bell | MBUTCHER
The total of 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 the 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 as the Firebirds went hell for leather trying to get a bonus point.
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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 Grand Final) and Adam Milne (18 balls for the Stags in 2021/22).
Retired duo 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 young 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, weather providing their only points, 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 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 lonely Plunket Shield wicket almost a decade ago in 2016/17.
But this was his Ford Trophy first victim, a big one at that, and he finished with 1/18 after bowling five tidy overs.
Nick Greenwood at fifth change had meanwhile stopped the Aces’ good start with 3/24 at the top, and Jesse Tashkoff finished with three as well, leaving the Aucklanders disappointed with their tally.
In the chase, exciting 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 just 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 century partnership between Foxcroft (72 off 56) and Josh Clarkson (66 off 59) that threatened to turn the match on its head.
Josh Brown | MBUTCHER
Pringle finished with 4/29 off his 10 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 to boot in Hamilton.
ND now heads to their Whangārei home of Cobham Oval to host the Aces with those two teams now uncomfortably sitting 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
