After consistent batting performances for Central Districts A and Hawke’s Bay this summer, tomorrow shapes as an exciting day for 20-year-old Hastings cricketer Bayley Wiggins.

Named in the Central Stags squad for the first time today, Wiggins is poised to make his Central Stags and Burger King Super Smash debut at the Basin Reserve tomorrow, with the Stags looking to lock in a qualification spot for the 2018/19 finals in the national Twenty20 competition.

Along with returning BLACKCAPS allrounder Doug Bracewell (fresh off his ODI career best 57 with the bat) and swing maestro Seth Rance who will strengthen the attack, the uncapped keeper-batsman is one of three changes to the squad for a high-stakes away match against the Wellington Firebirds.

Wiggins gets his opportunity in the wake of a lower back flare-up that has ruled out regular keeper-batsman Dane Cleaver. Cleaver was ruled out of the previous game, against the Knights in Napier on Friday, after failing a fitness test on the morning of the match, which led to captain Tom Bruce — who also kept wicket in his first BLACKCAPS T20 International series two summers ago after a hamstring injury to Luke Ronchi — filling in behind the stumps once more.

Makeshift keeper Bruce delighted the crowd with a first-over stumping on Friday evening, but is  more than happy to hand over the gloves to a regular in the role. Wiggins keeps wicket for his Cornwall (Hastings) club team and kept for Central Districts A this summer at Twenty20 A level.

An attacking player who typically generates a high strike rate, Wiggins also excels with the bat, having operated as an aggressive opening batsman or number four at CD A level this season.

Central Stags Head Coach Heinrich Malan said it was exciting to be in a position to blood another promising young player this summer.

“Bayley is someone who has come through our Central Districts Under-17 and Under-19 programmes in the last few years and he was close to making the 2018 New Zealand Under-19 World Cup squad. He has been putting performances on the board for Hawke’s Bay and his consistency with the bat has certainly stood out over the last three or four weeks.”

In an impressive debut summer with the Hawke’s Bay senior rep side, Wiggins is fresh off a century for the province (110 off 165 balls) after opening the batting in a fourth-round Furlong Cup win against Wairarapa — to go with earlier knocks of 70 (round one against Cricket Wanganui) and 57 (round two against Horowhenua-Kāpiti) in the Hawke Cup qualifying competition this season.

He also produced a one-day 91 off 110 balls for CD A against Northern Districts A at Nelson Park in November, a blistering T20 half century against the same opponent in Taupō in December, and another T20 50 off just 33 balls — batting at four — against a strong Wellington A line-up three weeks ago, also claiming three dismissals behind the stumps.

Wiggins is set to become the Stags’ fourth wicketkeeper this season after Cleaver, Bruce and Marlborough youngster Ma’ara Ave who made his debut in the one-day Ford Trophy format this summer.

Needing to make the top three to qualify, the Stags have slipped from second to third on the volatile Burger King Super Smash table in the last week, but remain well placed — requiring just one win from their last two rounds to ensure they qualify for the 2v3 Elimination Final on 15 February.

Should they overtake the Auckland Aces — whom they meet in Auckland in the last round — in the process, the Stags will also host that Elimination Final, with the winner of the latter match to proceed to the Grand Final title fight two days later. However, the immediate focus is on shutting out the dangerous Firebirds who sit just four points — the equivalent of one win — behind the Stags on the table heading into tomorrow’s big clash, where fine weather and a good pitch awaits.

The Stags will train at the Basin Reserve between 2pm and 4pm this afternoon, with opening batsman George Worker set to make his 100th Twenty20 appearance (all teams) when the non-televised match begins at 4PM tomorrow.

BURGER KING SUPER SMASH

WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS v CENTRAL STAGS

BASIN RESERVE | WELLINGTON

4PM Friday 1 February 2019

CENTRAL STAGS

Tom Bruce (c) — Taranaki

Doug Bracewell — Hawke’s Bay

Josh Clarkson — Nelson

Dean Foxcroft — Hawke’s Bay

Ajaz Patel — Hawke’s Bay

Seth Rance — Wairarapa

Bevan Small — Manawatū

Blair Tickner — Hawke’s Bay

Ben Wheeler — Marlborough

George Worker — Manawatū

Bayley Wiggins (w) — Hawke’s Bay — potential debut

Will Young — Taranaki

Head Coach — Heinrich Malan

Article added: Thursday 31 January 2019