The bulk of the Central Stags’ 2023/24 professional roster is locked in with 15 of the 16 contract spots announced today.

Each year, all six teams around the country reveal their contracted men’s squad in two stages, and the Stags have two new names on their first-round list.

The team will head into the new season as New Zealand’s double champions, having overcome the challenges and disruption of Cyclone Gabrielle earlier this year to win both the national one-day Ford Trophy and first-class Plunket Shield trophies.

It was the first time the Stags had won both these titles in the same season, many in the group having also achieved the first-class/T20 double when they won the 2019 Plunket Shield and Dream11 Super Smash.

Among today’s first-time contract recipients are opening batsman Jack Boyle, who was previously contracted by Canterbury until 2021/22.

Boyle, 27, migrated to Central Districts ahead of last season. After having impressed for Hawke’s Bay, the top order batsman made his Stags debut in both the one-day and first-class arena last summer. His first Stags century set up an outright win in Palmerston North in the penultimate Plunket Shield match, and he helped beat his old team in The Ford Trophy Grand Final in Napier a few days later.

Hawke’s Bay allrounder Will Clark, 21, (pictured with photo courtesy of Margot Butcher) joined the Stags’ professional ranks as a contract replacement during the past season. Today represents the emerging allrounder's first-time contract from the outset of the contractual period that runs from 1 September until the close of the season.

Black Caps Test spinner Ajaz Patel meanwhile returns to the Stags’ contracted group after having missed out on an NZC BLACKCAPS contract for the coming season.

Central Districts Manager, High Performance Dave Meiring noted that the two new names on the list so far this year had already made impressive showings for the Stags, and fitted in well with the group.

“Jack made the most of his opportunities after moving to CD last season, and we were really impressed by the way he went about it — both in the CD A team, and in the Plunket Shield and The Ford Trophy with the Stags.

“We believe there’s more where that came from, and we’re excited to invest in him for next summer as a top order batsman.”

Clark came onto the contract list for the first time last season when Joey Field was ruled out for the entire summer by his shoulder injury.

“Will had made his debut for us in the Plunket Shield towards the end of the 2021/22 season [March 2022], and stepped up again in the latest summer, playing in all three formats,” said Meiring.

“He’s an exciting young player who brings all-round skills as well as an ability to hit the ball hard, as we saw in Nelson with his explosive knock on the last morning of the Plunket Shield, scoring 41 off just 16 balls.”

Missing from last year’s contracted squad at this point are Wairarapa swing bowler Seth Rance, veteran Whanganui top order batsman Ben Smith, young keeper-batsman Ma’ara Ave, and 19-year-old Manawatū batsman Curtis Heaphy who also received his maiden contract part-way during the past season when Blair Tickner was elevated to a BLACKCAPS contract.

Meiring noted that Central Districts is continuing to support Rance through his injury rehabilitation process, following major shoulder surgery that curtailed his 2022/23 season.

“In a perfect world, we’re hoping that Seth will be available for the team again in January 2024.

"He’s still very much part of our plans as we work through the process of getting him back to full strength, but not in a position to be contracted for the season this year.”

Following today’s first round announcements, a 10-day transfer window opens for as yet uncontracted players to explore plying their trade elsewhere, before all teams announce their final contract spots on 20 July. The Stags have one spot to be filled.

Attention then turns to formalising the new season’s Central Hinds contract offers, while the Domestic playing schedules for 2023/24 will be released later this winter.

The new season is expected to begin as usual with the first round of the first-class Plunket Shield defence in October 2023.

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