A busy 2025 off-season just got even busier for CURTIS HEAPHY, JAYDEN LENNOX and JOSH CLARKSON.

The trio of Stags is about to add a rare New Zealand A tour of South Africa to their cricket CVs, having already toured Bangladesh with New Zealand A this winter, followed by the Stags' ground-breaking trip to the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League in July.

Now New Zealand A jets off to South Africa this Sunday for three one-day and two four-day matches over the next month.

Three changes feature since the New Zealand A Bangladesh tour earlier this year.

Auckland's clean-hitter Bevon Jacobs, pace allrounder Simon Keene and recent Test debutant paceman Matt Fisher (Northern Districts) have been included.

Jayden Lennox | PHOTOSPORT

Spinning allrounder DEAN FOXCROFT misses out – with conditions in South Africa likely to favour pace, alongside Matt Boyle and the injured Kristian Clarke (side strain).

Wellington's Nick Kelly (white-ball) and Northern's Joe Carter (red-ball) captain an otherwise pretty familiar-looking squad. 

 

 

Josh Clarkson | PHOTOSPORT

Kelly scored back-to-back first-class centuries for New Zealand A on the tour to Bangladesh in May and will be hoping to pick up where he left off, while Jacobs and pace allrounder Keene stand to make their New Zealand A debuts.

The team will be coached for the first time by Northern Districts Assistant Coach Daniel Flynn, with support from NZC High Performance coaches Bob Carter and Graeme Aldridge.

The squad flies out this Sunday, with Heaphy joining them from England where he has been playing league cricket. The action begins on 30 August.

2025 TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA

Joe Carter – Northern Districts (red-ball captain)

Nick Kelly – Wellington Firebirds (white-ball captain)

Muhammad Abbas – Wellington Firebirds

Adi Ashok – Auckland Aces

Josh Clarkson – Central Stags

Matt Fisher – Northern Districts

Zak Foulkes – Canterbury

Mitch Hay – wicketkeeper, Canterbury

Curtis Heaphy – Central Stags

Bevon Jacobs – Auckland

Simon Keene – Auckland

Jayden Lennox – Central Stags

Ben Lister – Auckland

Rhys Mariu – Canterbury

Dale Phillips – Auckland

 

Article added: Friday 22 August 2025