UNCAPPED MASON HUGHES CALLED UP FOR STAGS


Two matches in two formats in three days at Pukekura Park begin tomorrow with 23-year-old Manawatu and Central Districts A top order batsman MASON HUGHES named in a Central Stags squad for the first time.

Hughes, a left-hand batsman and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, joins a squad of 13 for tomorrow’s List A one-day Ford Trophy match against Northern Districts. 

The match is a prelude to Saturday’s Dream11 Super Smash doubleheader at the same ground which will see the Central Hinds and Central Stags hosting the Wellington Blaze and Firebirds from 10.10am in their eighth of 10 regular season rounds.

Tomorrow’s one-dayer is meanwhile just the second one-dayer of the summer for the Stags, a rematch with ND after both teams took two points from a total washout in Hamilton in Round One.

 

 

While Hughes comes into the squad for the first time, fellow Manawatu and former Marlborough rep MA'ARA AVE comes in for his first match since 2018 while BAYLEY WIGGINS will take the gloves, with regular Stags keeper-batsman DANE CLEAVER - the top runscorer nationally in this year’s Dream11 Super Smash - expecting the birth of his first child.

 

 

Fresh off his Plunket Shield and T20 debuts for the team this season, Ave has previously played eight Ford Trophy matches for the Stags, all in the 2018 calendar year.

A cluster of players are unavailable due to injury - including veteran batsman Greg Hay whose T20 renaissance has been cut short after he was struck on the end of the thumb by Canterbury Kings quick Ed Nuttall at Pukekura Park on 31 December. Hay had surgery on the fractured thumb yesterday, after having scored three T20 half centuries and a career best in the seven rounds so far this season.

In all there are four changes from the Stags’ Round One Ford Trophy squad with Hughes, Ajaz Patel, Brad Schmulian and Ave having replaced Hay, Cleaver, Adam Milne and the squad expanded from 12 to 13.

Tomorrow’s free admission match begins at 11am, with livescores and a free livestream here on our website.

 

The Dream11 Super Smash squads for Saturday 8 January will be named on Friday 7 January.

 

 

 

 

Central Stags

v Northern Districts

Pukekura Park, New Plymouth

11am | Thurs 6 January 2022

 

 

Tom Bruce — Taranaki — captain

Ma’ara Ave — Manawatū

Doug Bracewell — Hawke’s Bay

Josh Clarkson — Nelson

Joey Field — Hawke’s Bay

Mason Hughes  — Manawatū — uncapped

Jayden Lennox — Hawke’s Bay

Ajaz Patel   —  Hawke’s Bay

Seth Rance — Wairarapa

Brad Schmulian — Hawke’s Bay

Ben Smith — Whanganui

Blair Tickner — Hawke’s Bay

Bayley Wiggins (w) — Hawke’s Bay

 

Coach — Rob Walter

 

Players unavailable for selection

Ross Taylor — BLACKCAPS Test squad

Will Young — BLACKCAPS Test squad

Dane Cleaver — impending fatherhood

Greg Hay — injury (fractured thumb)

Adam Milne — injury (knee niggle)

Ben Wheeler — injury (elbow)

Christian Leopard — injury (quad niggle)

 

Livescoring, livestream, schedule: visit nzc.nz

Twitter updates: @CentralStags

Instagram updates: @CentralStags

Official hashtags: #FordTrophy #LoveTheStags

 

 

 


Article added: Wednesday 05 January 2022

 

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