• Central Stag Tom Bruce produces career best on-day century — carrying over his Dream11 Super Smash form
Hot on the heels of the hard-fought Dream11 Super Smash, the resumption of the national one-day Ford Trophy produced high-scoring matches — including a last-ball thriller — across the motu on a blistering Waitangi Day 2025.
Canterbury set the Otago Volts a 323-run chase in Dunedin after Scott Janett’s maiden List A one-day century (115 off as many balls) underpinned their total of 322/7.
In a remarkable game, 643 runs were scored at University of Otago Oval after the Volts responded with a Llew Johnson century (115 off 118 balls) in the reply of 321/7.
But it was last-ball heartbreak for the hosts, after Canterbury allrounder Zak Foulkes put himself on a hat-trick with the wickets of Johnson and Ben Lockrose off the third-to-last and second-to-last deliveries of the game.
Johnson had just belted a six, and the Volts had needed just three runs off three balls before Foulkes’s last-minute intervention – and when Andrew Hazeldine could scramble just a leg bye off the final ball, Canterbury had snatched the dramatic victory by a mere run to go top of the table.
Canterbury’s rise came at the expense of the Auckland Aces who meanwhile couldn’t stop the Stags from roaring yet again in Auckland.
Central Stag Brett Randell produced his third List A five-wicket bag, but the Aces piled on 285 at Kennards Hire Community Oval after captain Sean Solia elected to bat.
It still wasn’t enough for the hosts, after Tom Bruce carried his Super Smash form straight over into The Ford Trophy, pumping his career-best one day century (139 off 124 balls) as part of a new Central Stags fourth wicket record partnership against all teams, Curtis Heaphy bringing it home unbeaten on 85 off 91 balls with two overs to spare.
Surprisingly, it was just Bruce’s second century in the limited overs format, but he had also had a share in the previous Stags fourth wicket record of 147 with Will Young. With Heaphy, he smashed that record, taking it to 183.
The Stags’ six-wicket victory lifted them above the Volts to fourth on the table.
The Aces, Canterbury and the Wellington Firebirds had headed into the back half of the men’s national one-day championship in the top three spots, and ended Round Six in second, first and third respectively, with Canterbury’s thriller giving them a thin two-point lead.
Meanwhile, Northern Districts, who had squeaked to 200 after electing to bat in Wellington, remain anchored to the foot of the ladder.
They had their work cut out trying to hold off the Wellington Firebirds who chased down their target with four overs to spare for a four-wicket win in the capital.
Round Seven (of 10 in the regular season, pre-FInals) of The Ford Trophy takes the free-admission action to Whangārei (Northern Districts v Central Stags), Christchurch (Canterbury v Wellington Firebirds) and Dunedin (Otago Volts v Auckland Aces) on Monday from 10.30am.
In the meantime, the women’s one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield championship resumes with twin one-day rounds across the weekend at New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park (Central Hinds v Northern Districts), Auckland’s Kennards Hire Community Oval (Auckland Hearts v barnstorming leaders the Otago Sparks) and the Cello Basin Reserve (Dream11 Super Smash champion Wellington Blaze v the Canterbury Magicians) from 10.30am on Saturday.
