Bay's Field named in Stags Ford Trophy squad
New Zealand Under 19 World Cup one-day representative Joey Field has been named in the Central Stags’ Ford Trophy squad for the first time.
Field is the only new name in the first squad of the white ball season, named for Rounds One and Two this Sunday and Tuesday, with both one-dayers at New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park against last season’s Grand Finalists the Otago Volts.
Fellow Hawke’s Bay right-arm pace bowler Liam Dudding meanwhile returns to the squad for the first time since November 2018, following a year domiciled in Australia.
Central Stags coach Aldin Smith says with six Stags unavailable due to selection in the BLACKCAPS and New Zealand A squads concurrently playing the West Indies, and Adam Milne and Ben Wheeler both rehabbing from injury, it’s an exciting opportunity for several players at the outset of their careers.
“We have several younger guys who we know can put their hands up this season — and you only have to look at what Bayley Wiggins (of Hawke's Bay pictured below) achieved in his first three matches last summer to see how exciting that can be when you do get those opportunities to play.
“With Dane Cleaver away in the NZ A squad, Bayley has a further opportunity to stamp his mark on the team and will be full of confidence after last season’s two big scores at Pukekura Park, while Joey Field has been knocking at the door and has already shown his promise in the Plunket Shield arena.”
Dudding’s return earlier this year was also timely, he said.
“It’s good to have Liam back. Dudds returned to New Zealand early on during the off-season and has been training with us throughout the winter. In the absence of some of our senior bowlers, he gets another opportunity that we know he will relish, and he brings his previous experience in some big games at this level that he will draw on.”
Adding to captain Tom Bruce’s bowling options will be a fully fit Josh Clarkson and Christian Leopard who will have important roles to play as allrounders this season.
“Both Christian and Clarkie have made a successful return to bowling following the injuries that restricted them to batting in the last couple of years.
“They have both been getting a lot of overs under their belt and are coming off strong white-ball form in the Chapple Cup and Central Districts A games so they are tracking well.”
Admission to both one-day matches against the Volts is free this year to mark the Central Stags’ 70th anniversary, with Tuesday marking 70 years since the team first took the field for a Domestic match.
Smith said they squad was looking forward to a start at home this season as the only team to have a run of six home matches — in both New Plymouth and Palmerston North — to start the 10-match season.
“It’s a chance to make use of it and get ahead early on, get in a good positions before Christmas,” said Smith.
“We are also coming off quite a stop-start beginning to our Plunket Shield campaign where, for example, we lost an entire week to rain, so everyone is looking forward to a fresh start now, really gathering some momentum in our white-ball campaigns and playing good cricket over the next few months.”
Round One v Otago Volts: 11am, Sunday 29 November 2020
Round Two v Otago Volts: 11am, Tuesday 1 December 2020
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth
Admission: Free
Central Stags Squad
Tom Bruce (c) — Taranaki, caps: 36 + 9 for NZA
Josh Clarkson — Nelson, caps: 35 + 2 for NZXI
Liam Dudding — Hawke’s Bay, caps: 3
Joseph Field — Hawke’s Bay, uncapped
Jayden Lennox — Hawke’s Bay, caps: 4
Christian Leopard — Hawke’s Bay, caps: 3
Seth Rance — Wairarapa, caps: 48 + 7 for NZ/NZA
Brad Schmulian — Hawke’s Bay, caps: 6
Ben Smith — Whanganui, caps: 53
Ray Toole — Manawatu, caps: 6
Bayley Wiggins (w) — Hawke’s Bay, caps: 4
George Worker — Manawatu, caps: 72 + 60 for NZ/NZA/Canterbury/Scotland
Coach: Aldin Smith
