DOUG BRACEWELL has made a timely return for the Central Stags, returning from a side strain for a pivotal Plunket Shield clash against current leaders Canterbury in Rangiora starting this Friday.

Bracewell's return softens the blow of losing strike bowler SETH RANCE to injury during the team's impressive fifth-round win over the Wellington Firebirds on Sunday, while BRAD SCHMULIAN, BEN SMITH and uncapped spinner JAYDEN LENNOX also join the squad in place of ROSS TAYLOR and WILL YOUNG (BLACKCAPS ODI Series v Bangladesh) and spinner AJAZ PATEL who is awaiting the birth of his first child.

Unbeaten Canterbury has 80 points from four outright wins and a draw - heading into the sixth round with a big 32-point lead over the nearest challenger, Northern Districts (48 points).

However, the hosts in Rangiora will have a nervous red and black eye on the Stags who sit on 43 points with the two teams scheduled to meet twice in the last three rounds of the summer.

With a maximum of 20 points available per match - and our Stags coming off their impressive 16-point victory on Sunday, winning against the Firebirds despite having been sent in on a greentop - the Central men have the capability to close the gap on the leaders at the top of the table, and will be playing the injury hit Otago Volts in between, in Dunedin.

In third spot on 43 points, the Auckland Aces are the only other unbeaten side (with Canterbury) heading into Round Six. Like Central, the Aces are looking to make up for lost ground after a weather-affected first half of their campaign, prior to Christmas. The Aces and Central Stags suffered a rare washout with no toss made, netting just four points each from November's third round in Nelson.

All Central Stags Plunket Shield matches will be livestreamed with the links posted daily on our Central Stags facebook page.

ROUND SIX

CENTRAL STAGS v CANTERBURY

Mainpower Oval • Rangiora

10.30am • Friday 19 to Monday 22 March 2021

Greg Hay (captain) — Nelson

Doug Bracewell — Hawke’s Bay

Tom Bruce — Taranaki

Josh Clarkson — Nelson

Dane Cleaver (wicketkeeper) — Manawatū

Joey Field — Hawke’s Bay

Jayden Lennox — Hawke’s Bay — uncapped

Brad Schmulian — Hawke’s Bay

Ben Smith — Whanganui

Ray Toole — Manawatū

Blair Tickner — Hawke’s Bay

George Worker — Manawatū

Coach: Aldin Smith

#LOVETHESTAGS

Article added: Thursday 18 March 2021