After three rounds of The Ford Trophy our CENTRAL STAGS are in a good position, and JOSH CLARKSON has everything to do with it.

The big allrounder from Nelson has long been regarded as a dangerous hitter but now he's getting serious raps for his results with the ball.

Clarkson had to forego bowling entirely for a spell of several seasons after a back injury earlier in his career, but since his return to the crease, he's improved season on season.

Take a look at the bowling stats now in the 2025/26 Ford Trophy and it's Clarkson on top by a country mile.

After hauls of 5/32 (his maiden bag), 4/42 (against ND) and 3/23 (in Dunedin this week), he's not only the leading wicket-taker in the country with 12 wickets, but has by far the best economy and strike rates as well.

Clarkson's sitting four clear of Canterbury's Angus McKenzie on the wickets front and his bowling average this season, in a format where containment through the middle is crucial, is a phenomenally low 8.08.

That means he concedes just eight runs on average for every wicket he takes.

He's played 96 List A one-dayers now (including performances for New Zealand A) for 62 wickets in all. Along with his maiden bag, his four-fa was only the second of his career in this format.

"I've been working pretty hard on my bowling for the last few seasons so it was nice to get some sort of reward," he says.

His effectiveness with the ball has been especially valuable to the team in the absence of paceman Brett Randell who's on his way back from shoulder surgery; the vastly experienced Doug Bracewell who's also in the injury ward and yet to play this season; and Toby Findlay - now also sidelined by injury ahead of Saturday's key encounter with current Ford Trophy leader the Auckland Aces in Auckland. 

The attack also needed to cover for Blair Tickner for the second round when Tickner was suddenly called up to play against England for the BLACKCAPS, turning in in Player of the Match performances in both ODIs.

Findlay is replaced by off-spinning allrounder Angus Schaw in the only change to the twelve that clinched a tight seven-run win in Dunedin on Monday.

Shaw carried the drinks for the match against Northern Districts in New Plymouth and is still to get on the park in a playing capacity this season.

Saturday's game is a rematch of last summer's Ford Trophy 2v3 Elimination Final, in which the Aces' BLACKCAP Jimmy Neesham blasted a match-winning century to shove the Stags out of the Grand Final.

The Aces have held the lead from the outset of this season's competition, but like the Stags, they have won two of their matches and dropped one, and there's only one point in it, heading into Round Four.

The Aces are on 10 points; with Canterbury, the Stags, Wellington Firebirds able to catch them tomorrow on a tightly bunched table.

The Stags’ match in Auckland tomorrow is scheduled for a 10.30am start with livescores and a free livestream here at cdcricket.co.nz

GET LONG LUNCH TICKETS

2025/26 | ROUND FOUR

Central Stags v Auckland Aces

10.30am | Saturday 8 November 2025

Kennards Hire Community Oval • Eden Park, Auckland

FREE ADMISSION   

Livescores and FREE livestream

www.cdcricket.co.nz  

JAYDEN Lennox - captain, Hawke's Bay

TOM Bruce - Taranaki

WILL Clark - Hawke's Bay

JOSH Clarkson - Nelson

DANE Cleaver - wicketkeeper, Manawatū

DEAN Foxcroft - Hawke’s Bay

AJAZ Patel - Hawke's Bay

ANGUS Schaw - Hawke's Bay

BRAD Schmulian - Hawke's Bay

BLAIR Tickner - Hawke's Bay

RAY Toole - Manawatū  

WILL Young - Taranaki

Head Coach: GREG Hay

Assistant Coach: ALDIN Smith 

Contracted players unavailable for selection

Injured: Doug Bracewell, Toby Findlay, Brett Randell, Curtis Heaphy

Return to Play protocol: Joey Field

THE FORD TROPHY

Round Three Result:

Central Stags beat Otago Volts

by 7 runs

Scorecard

Article added: Friday 7 November 2025