(Cricket news) The Plunket Shield national championship is boiling down to the last two rounds – the heat going on to claim the coveted first-class trophy.
All eyes will be on points table leader Northern Districts over the next four days as Jeet Raval’s men head to Rangiora’s Mainpower Oval looking for a result that could sew up the championship ahead of the final round.
Northern Districts hasn’t lifted the history-laden trophy in more than a decade as they get ready to take on Canterbury.
ND and BLACKCAPS Test paceman Scott Kuggeleijn is back for the big match, as is Tim Seifert, back from playing overseas and behind the stumps.
Canterbury’s hopes of emulating last season’s top-two finish are rapidly dimming as they find themselves well behind the leaders at this stage of the season, after a first-class summer in which they haven’t enjoyed a lot of luck.
The Auckland Aces are another team that’s had a special white-ball summer (Canterbury and the Aces appearing in both this summer’s NZC white-ball men’s Finals, taking home a trophy apiece), but they won’t be adding the Plunket Shield to their cabinet – having become the first team to drop out of contention in the previous round.
After fighting admirably throughout the last day of that Hamilton match, the Aces lost in the very last over of the game – to a thrilled, and relieved, Northern Districts team who knew the competition was now back in their control.
The Aces are away this weekend to the defending champion Central Stags in Napier. The Stags are still a sniff if they can keep up their strong form, but only if other results now go their way.
They’re coming off back-to-back draws against ND and the Wellington Firebirds (against whom they poured on one of their biggest ever totals) where more fortune with weather might well have seen the Stags occupying the top rung on the ladder.
The Stags have Test batter Will Young back in the Plunket Shield squad for the first time all season, and also welcome back class allrounder Doug Bracewell from injury.
The Aces lose well performed rookie Harjot Johal to injury, opening the door to Jordan Sussex whose only previous Plunket Shield and first-class appearance was also at McLean Park against the Stags, two years ago.
It’s also a massive four days for the Wellington Firebirds at home at the Cello Basin Reserve, looking to stop the Otago Volts’ electric storm of late season form.
The Volts are fresh off beating Canterbury inside three days at Alexandra’s Molyneux Park, and will be intent on moving further up the ladder in their last two games.
The Firebirds have BLACKCAPS Tom Blundell and Michael Bracewell both back for the big match, with Nathan Smith (rested on 12th man duties in the previous round) also in the squad, fresh off his season award for men’s Domestic Player of the Year at the ANZ NZC Cricket Awards this week.
The Otago Volts have batter Thorn Parkes and paceman Andrew Hazeldine back from injury in what should be a cracking contest in the capital. The toss is scheduled for 10am at all venues with first ball at 10.30am, weather permitting, and free livestreams at NZC YouTube and livescoring at www.nzc.nz and on the NZC app.
ROUND SEVEN OF EIGHT
10.30am, Saturday 16 to Tuesday 19 March, 2024
FREE admission
- Central Stags v Auckland Aces at McLean Park, Napier
- Wellington Firebirds v Otago Volts at Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington
- Canterbury v Northern Districts at Mainpower Oval, Rangiora
POINTS SNAPSHOT
After 6 of 8 Rounds (max 20 points per round, including up to eight first innings bonus points)
Northern Districts 80
Wellington Firebirds 67
Central Stags 58
Canterbury 48
Otago Volts 43
Auckland Aces 29
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