MA'ARA AVE CALLED UP FOR STAGS IN NELSON

Uncapped in the first-class arena, Central Districts A captain MA'ARA AVE has been called into the Central Stags squad named to play their first home Plunket Shield match from tomorrow at Nelson's Saxton Oval.

Marlborough keeper/batsman Ave has previously played Ford Trophy cricket for the Stags and comes in for JOSH CLARKSON who picked up a side strain while bowling on the flat University of Otago Oval in the second round draw over the past week.

BEN SMITH remains at home on baby watch leaving an otherwise unchanged squad from the previous round as the two teams go head to head again, this time on the Stags' home turf.

GREG HAY scored his 15th first-class ton, his fifth v Otago | PHOTOSPORT

Centuries were scored in every innings in Dunedin where a batsman's paradise saw big totals and hundreds raised for Stags captain GREG HAY - his second century in as many matches and innings; BRAD SCHMULIAN and DANE CLEAVER.

Volts captain Hamish Rutherford, former Stag Mitch Renwick and Nick Kelly also posted hundreds, but there was no result in the match meaning the Stags head into the third round keen for an outright win after playing well in the two drawn matches to date.

The Stags are sitting third on the table, with the Firebirds and Canterbury meanwhile having each picked up a win at the Basin Reserve, with the standings as follows:

Canterbury 24 points

Wellington Firebirds 19 points

Central Stags 13 points

Otago Volts 11 points

Auckland Aces - yet to participate (Alert Level Restrictions)

Northern Districts - yet to participate (Alert Level Restrictions)

Former Central Stag and Nelson rep JARROD MCKAY has been named in the Otago Volts squad, coming in for the injured Jake Gibson from the previous encounter.

Admission at Saxton Oval is FREE all four days, with the toss at 10am and first ball at 10.30am.