Otago, Auckland stay unbeaten in Ford Trophy
Last week, Northern Districts scored their record team total of 403-6 in the opening round at the Nelson Venue, also a Ford Trophy record total in matches on Saxton Oval.
The Auckland Aces posted 357-7 — the second highest total in domestic matches at Saxton, leaving embattled hosts the Stags facing another daunting chase.
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The Aces overcame a significant pre-match hiccup, captain Sean Solia having been injured at training on the previous day. Jock McKenzie joined the squad to run the drinks while Adi Ashok stepped up to reprise his role as skipper.
Solia has scored a century in the opening round with fellow opener Dale Phillips, and the latter — brother of Black Cap Glenn Phillips — did it again this morning, setting up the imposing total with his second hundred in the space of three games: 105 off 108 balls.
Cam Fletcher (72) and Black Caps Bevon Jacobs (58 off 46) also made their presence felt before Ryan Harrison escalated the run rate with an unbeaten 54* off just 22 balls — threatening Stags captain Tom Bruce’s 16-ball record.
Jacobs’ diving slip catch to dismiss Brad Schmulian helped the Aces get on top early in the Stags’ chase, debutant Samrath Singh finishing with 3/59 after the hosts were bowled out for 283 in 45.5 overs.
Ashok finished with 3/53 and Angus Olliver (2-40) chimed in with another aggressive performance, but the Stags didn’t go down without a fight — captain Bruce posting his fourth Ford Trophy century (101 off 103 balls) in a 157-run fifth-wicket stand with Josh Clarkson (88 off 77).
That was scant consolation for the Stags who not only remain winless, but this time conceded a bonus point.
In Wellington, another solid total was laid down after hosts the Firebirds broke out of their early season doldrums to post 354-7 in a thumping bonus-point win — leaping from last to fourth on the ladder, and all this after having been sent in.
The 202-run winning margin was the largest in the Firebirds' history, in a competition that dates back to 1971/72. Their previous record was 193 against the Volts in 2018/19, also at the Basin.
It was a team effort, Mo Abbas top-scoring with 84 off 78 for his first half century of the season, supported by exciting 22-year-old Oscar Jackson’s career best 62-ball 71 that included five fours and four sixes.
Paceman Cooper Rowell (4-91) took his career best for Northern Districts, but the damage was done and early wickets to returning Black Caps Adam Milne made Northern’s chase that much tougher — Milne helped by an outstanding one-handed dive from keeper Callum McLachlan to end Nick Kelly’s day.
Milne finished with 3-32 and Logan van Beek 4/31 as the Firebirds wrapped up their first win by rolling Northern for 152 in 35.1 overs.
Conditions should have been less favourable to batters at an overcast University of Otago Oval where a splash of wet weather saw today’s southern derby with Canterbury reduced to 46 overs per side.
Otago Volts captain Luke Georgeson starred in the first innings with a standout 3/20 off his 10 overs to help restrict the fresh-look Canterbury side to just 175 — the visitors bowled out with two and a half overs to spare.
In reply, the Volts made batting look straightforward as they cantered to the finish line in 37 overs, Jacob Cumming (63 off 88) and Thorn Parkes (59 off 62) both contributing half centuries.
Canterbury’s Ethan Holman and wicketkeeper Jesse Frew both made their official Ford Trophy debuts,
Frew previously made a quirky appearance in this competition in 2019, as a young emergency substitute fielder for the Central Stags (when he replaced concussed Central Stag Josh Clarkson in the field) against the Wellington Firebirds during a centralised round at Lincoln. Frew even took a catch on that day to dismiss Jimmy Neesham.
Just two more pre-Christmas rounds of The Ford Trophy remain in the first block of competition, and the defending champion Stags will be anxious to get a win under their belt as they head to Napier’s McLean Park for their next home match against Canterbury this Sunday.
The Stags now sit bottom of the ladder as the only winless team, after the Firebirds’ success today.
Wellington's Firebirds remain at the Cello Basin Reserve to host the Aces in Sunday’s fourth round and the Volts meanwhile make the long haul north to Whangārei’s Cobham Oval where hosts Northern Districts will be hoping to get back on the horse against the joint frontrunners.
The Volts didn't win a game all season in this format last summer, but have now gone three from three.
All matches are free admission from 10.30am with livescores at www.nzc.nz and free livestreams on NZC’s YouTube channel.
