Central Stag BLAIR TICKNER has earned a BLACKCAPS recall after a brilliant start to the season by the Stags in New Plymouth. 

Tickner heads to Hamilton to join the New Zealand squad for the last two ODIs against England, replacing injured Cantabrian Kyle Jamieson in the national squad.

BLACKCAPS Head Coach ROB WALTER said it was a like-for-like replacement after Jamieson was ruled out of the current Series on Saturday, after experiencing stiffness in his left side during training at Bay Oval.

“Blair’s an experienced campaigner and no stranger to international cricket,” said Walter, a former Stags coach.

“He bowls a heavy ball from a decent height with plenty of energy and aggression.

"In that respect he can fill a similar role to what Kyle would normally perform."

The BLACKCAPS are coming off a well fought first-up win last night against England, and Tickner will join fellow Stag WILL YOUNG who opened the batting at the Mount.

Seddon Park is expected to bring new conditions and challenges, warns Walter, "and we know England will be highly motivated to bounce back and level the Series.”

Tickner last represented the BLACKCAPS in 2023 - he has played three Tests, 13 ODIs and 18 T20 Internationals for his country.

On Saturday he got his first wicket of the season opening the attack in a four-wicket Stags win over the Wellington Firebirds at Pukekura Park, as the team began their 75th Jubilee season with a bang.

The team produced a cohesive effort to get their one-day Ford Trophy campaign off to a great start, and a first win on the board for new Head Coach Greg Hay who has been in the hot seat for less than a week.

Central looked completely unfazed by any preseason uncertainty as they waltzed away with the spoils and a bonus point. Indeed, all three of last season's finalists took bonus-point wins from the opening round.

The home highlight was big allrounder JOSH CLARKSON’s maiden five-wicket bag in the first innings, after captain JAYDEN LENNOX won the toss and bowled.

Clarkson's first two wickets formed an unconverted hat-trick and it put the brakes on the visiting Firebirds whose dangerous top order initially had the better start.

Clarkson walked off at lunch with an impressive 5/32 off his 10 overs, finishing his set with a wicket maiden (one of two unblemished overs from the allrounder).

It wasn’t the only positive sign for Central as the new season kicked off, right on time. 

Their fielding was sharp as a tack and, with the bat, DEAN FOXCROFT - who will have been eager to start well, marked his first Central Domestic innings since 2019 with an attractive half century (51 off 47). 

The off-season's midwinter trip to Guyana for the Global Super League seemed to have given the Stags a head start in togetherness.

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While Foxcroft and CURTIS HEAPHY brought the classic strokeplay, reliable opener BRAD SCHMULIAN anchored with his own half ton to get the hosts into a position to chase down the winning runs inside 40 overs for the bonus.

They had needed 200 on the nose, after having dismissed Wellington for 199 in 40.5 overs.

Spinner Lennox also had a say with the ball (and took a well judged catch in the outfield), finishing with a tight 3/20, while Clarkson’s accurate medium pace was the game-changing difference as things went off script early for the capital.

Wellington’s good start came from Tim Robinson, fresh from an impressive BLACKCAPS stint, who crunched 45 at first drop, at run-a-ball pace. 

Opener Jesse Tashkoff was trucking nicely too, with five boundaries in his quick 21 at the top before Tickner stopped him in his tracks in the fourth over.

Gareth Severin (60) took over the rebuild, got his maiden List A half century, and had a chance to lead the way home, but ladled a catch to Tickner off Lennox at 159/5.

After that, Logan van Beek's 44 was the only significant contribution to the tally.

A total of 200 is tough to defend at Pukekura Park but with the ball, the Firebirds still had their moments.

Former Stag Liam Dudding got a big early wicket in DANE CLEAVER, and Taranaki home crowd darling, former BLACKCAP and now Scotland international TOM BRUCE departed for a golden duck when he was caught off Peter Younghusband.

Veteran leggie Younghusband was the biggest threat to Central on the overcast afternoon, and he gave his side a boost with his 3/59.

Late wickets clattered, but Schmulian hung around until the 40th over for his disciplined 60 and that gave the rest of the Stags the freedom to play around him, in front of vociferous home support with no local junior cricket scheduled on the Labour weekend Saturday.

The Stags finished third last season after dipping out in the 2024/25 Elimination Final and, alongside fellow finalists Canterbury and the Auckland Aces, were now off to a perfect start in 2025/26 with their first-up bonus point.

They'll be back at Pukekura Park this Thursday to host Northern Districts in Round Two, ND having meanwhile lost to the Aces in the first round.

Captained by JOEY FIELD and featuring a first-time call up for CDU17 and CDU19 graduate, Hawke's Bay paceman FRED MOWAT, Central Districts A Men are meanwhile in action for the first time this season today with an afternoon T20 against Wellington A at Lindisfarne College in Hastings.

The team will move across to Napier's Nelson Park tomorrow for a one-dayer against the same opponent, with livescores at www.nzc.nz

 v England

Chemist Warehouse ODI Series

Sun 26 October • Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui:

BLACKCAPS beat England by 4 wickets

Wed 29 October • Seddon Park, Hamilton

Sat 1 November • SKY Stadium, Wellington 

• Live in New Zealand on TVNZ+ and TVNZ DUKE,

with Sport Nation and the Alternative Commentary Collective 

providing audio commentary

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Article added: Monday 27 October 2025