Another Josh Clarkson four-fa and yet another Brad Schmulian century against the Auckland Aces were among the team highlights as the Central Stags clobbered the Aucklanders in the latest round of The Ford Trophy.

The latest bonus point win means the Stags and Canterbury are now level on 14 points at the top of the table ahead of this Wednesday's big showdown in Rangiora.

The Stags were in charge with bat and ball at Eden Park's Kennards Hire Community Oval on Saturday where Jayden Lennox won the toss and batted.

The muggy, hot first innings made Schmulian’s unbeaten 136* all the more impressive as he went about his work, the opener batting the full 50 overs to underpin Central’s 337/5.

That was the equal highest team total this season - Canterbury had coincidentally scored 337/8 earlier in the week.

Schmulian kept the runs ticking over, while a polished half century from BLACKCAP Will Young (50) helped build the platform at the top.

Dean Foxcroft chipped in with 39 and Tom Bruce took over to belt 63 off just 39 balls, with three sixes and four boundaries, at the same place where he scored his first-class 345 last summer.

It was a well-timed injection of energy as they looked for that 300-plus on the board, on a ground that can be tricky to defend.

In between, the Aces were aghast as chances literally slipped through their fingers across the innings, and partnerships bloomed out of control.

Brad Schmulian annoys Aucklanders | MBUTCHER

Schmulian did well to hold his concentration for his new career best, carrying his bat.

It was his third century against Auckland in a row (he has four Ford Trophy hundreds in all) and his second at this ground.

What is it about playing the Aces, for him?

“The rivalry's there from, I guess, when I left Auckland as a youngster”, he says — he was an Auckland A and age-group rep and prolific batter at club level, but never won an Auckland contract before Central picked him up, after his move to Hawke's Bay.

He rewarded the team with a New Zealand record double century on debut, in the first-class arena. And in The Ford Trophy, he now averages 75.00 against the Aces, with three hundreds and two fifties for a disproportionate  600 runs out of his overall 1,788 in 49 games.

“Yeah, I just enjoy playing games against them," he says.

"They're obviously a competitive team and it’s always a good wicket to bat on out at Eden Park's outer oval.”

He walked off after three hours and 45 minutes on Saturday feeling pleasantly weary, to borrow a phrase.

“Physically, a few aches and pains, but it's probably just my age [he's a sprightly 35] rather than batting 50 overs.

"My mind was saying, 'swing the bat', but my body certainly wasn't allowing me to do so. But it's what you strive to do when you go and face the first over in a 50-over game - to just try and be not out, and score as big a total as you can.

"It's always nice to get a personal best and I would have liked to have been a bit quicker, but I faded a bit physically towards the end.”

Fat grey clouds blew in with cool breeze to make life in the field more tolerable for the Stags in the field for the Aces' chase.

The Stags at one point had been 222/2, but the Aces were 22/2 after the competition’s leading bowler, Clarkson, had removed both opening batters withing the first three overs.

Central had the luxury of bringing on BLACKCAP Blair Tickner in the 11th over and he immediately picked up two more wickets.

From that point on, the Aces were under a fair weight of pressure, dealing with rip-snorters as Tickner dug the ball in and rammed it in the vicinity of their nostrils.

Harry Kannan had come into bat at the end of the first over, and he stuck firm until the 42nd when he became the final wicket to fall in a 136-run loss. He swats and chisels the ball to find a way, hits the ball into unpredictable areas with a flourish, and ultimately struck nine boundaries and three sixes in his 122-ball 106.

But it wasn't enough, as the Stags barely put a hoof wrong in this one, and Clarkson walked off with another haul of 4/43.

Before this season, the formerly contracted BLACKCAP had taken only one four-for in List A cricket; now he’s taken 5/32, 4/42, 3/23 and 4/43 in consecutive matches this season.

“He puts his heart and soul into it with the Stags, so it's brilliant to see him do that,” says Schmulian.

"Especially when you’re not sure if your total is enough, but he comes in and knocks over two key players straight away.

“And, he's not the only one bowling well and batting well — across the team, we're performing well.”

The Stags now fly to Rangiora where things did not go to plan last season. The match-ups will be intense, and both teams have a top and middle order capable of dictating terms.

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Article added: Sunday 9 November 2025