After one of the great Plunket Shield wins in Wellington, the CENTRAL STAGS are ready to go again - versus an in-form Canterbury team at Napier's McLean Park.

Starting tomorrow, these two great rivals will clash over four days of first-class cricket, but only the Stags are coming off a win, after gutsy centuries from Brad Schmulian and Curtis Heaphy saw the team chase down 361 in one day in Wellington for a famous eight-wicket win.

This week's squad features a number of necessary changes. Dane Cleaver is back from paternity leave, meaning fellow gloveman Bayley Wiggins drops back out of the squad.

Cleaver also gains a second opportunity to captain the first-class team, as regular skipper Tom Bruce is now away overseas playing in a T20 league for the rest of the month.

Cleaver previously filled in as the Stags' first-class captain in March 2022, when then-skipper, now coach, Greg Hay had a broken thumb.

The BLACKCAPS meanwhile have the services of Blair Tickner and Will Young for the current Test Series against the West Indies so Taylor Bettelheim, uncapped allrounder Oscar Mabin and Jayden Lennox all pour back into the squad as well.

OSCAR MABIN, 19, carried the drinks in Round One

Canterbury brings with them Henry Nicholls in outrageous form, having scored a century in each innings in their latest match in Dunedin. Ish Sodhi and Sean Davey, better known for their bowling exploits, are coming off maiden centuries in the same game, and Matt Boyle and Chad Bowes have reached tons already as well. 

Canterbury also has Kyle Jamieson back for the Napier showdown while the Stags are looking to continue their own good momentum and positive brand of cricket.

Cleaver explains.

"I think over the years, with the captains that we've had - Haysie, Youngy and Brucey, we've looked to put ourselves in positions to win games, and that's always the question we're asking ourselves: how can we win the game from here?

"So it wasn't really a surprise to see that declaration [in Wellington], and I think that other teams are in the same boat.

"We're all playing hard cricket, playing to win, and if that means there's an ability to set up the game, then potentially looking to do that - which promotes good positive cricket, and promotes the best performances like Curtis's and Schmoo's partnership the other day.

"The nature of the condensed Plunket Shield, with the eight rounds instead of the 10 we used to have, is you need to play to win, play a positive brand, and we try and do that."

Schmulian made 167 not out and Heaphy 132 in a massive shift where the Stags' bold tactical declaration (236 behind on the first innings, after rain had eaten up much of the first two days in Wellington) effectively forced the Firebirds to set them a target - and open the door to a result.

Both average above 40 in both first-class and List A cricket, and they batted together for some six hours in a 292-run second wicket stand - Dean Foxcroft helping add the finishing touches in the last session as the Stags bolted for the finish line. Foxcroft reached a milestone in the process, chalking up his 2000th first-class career run.

The Stags were the only team to pick up an outright win in the round, and have now bolted up the table to boot where only seven points separate the top seven teams."

"It's actually pretty cool to see such a condensed table," says Cleaver.

"It's pretty cool to see Otago up there as well. And if I look around the grounds, it's pretty exciting to see lots of new talent coming through and some pretty evenly matched teams - it's going to be a good rest of the summer, I think."

Tomorrow's game in Napier could be a special one for Central's premier spinner Ajaz Patel who's now in touching distance of ticking off 400 first-class career wickets - just three more victims now required. Of those, 282 have been for Central.

 

"That's going to be a pretty remarkable achievement," says Cleaver.

"I've been fortunate enough to play with Jazzy and be behind the stumps for I'd say, the majority of that career, almost all of it other than for the BLACKCAPS.

He's a special player, he's been a special bowler throughout the years and he's always worked super hard on his game, one of those bowlers that's been able to be successful in New Zealand and then recently, in the last few years, overseas for New Zealand which has been pretty cool to see.

"We don't all play for records but it's pretty special when these sort of milestones do come up. So, yeah, I'll be doing my best behind the stumps to get him there and celebrate well for him!"

The free admission Plunket Shield four-dayer begins at 10.30am on Friday and will be livestreamed here at cdcricket.co.nz

2025/26 PLUNKET SHIELD

ROUND THREE

Central Stags v Canterbury

10.30am | Friday 5-Monday 8 December 2025

McLean Park • Napier

FREE ADMISSION   

DANE Cleaver - captain, wicketkeeper, Manawatū

TYLER Annand - Hawke's Bay

TAYLOR Bettelheim - Hawke's Bay

WILL Clark - Hawke's Bay

JOSH Clarkson - Nelson

DEAN Foxcroft - Hawke’s Bay

CURTIS Heaphy - Manawatū

JAYDEN Lennox - Hawke's Bay

OSCAR Mabin - Whanganui

AJAZ Patel - Hawke's Bay

BRAD Schmulian - Hawke's Bay

RAY Toole - Manawatū  

Head Coach: GREG Hay

Assistant Coach: ALDIN Smith 

Contracted players unavailable for selection

Injured or return to play protocol:

Doug Bracewell, Joey Field, Brett Randell, Toby Findlay

BLACKCAPS Test squad: Blair Tickner, Will Young

Article added: Thursday 4 December 2025