It’s now just nine days until the Central Stags and Hinds play their first Super Smash game this summer in Palmy and the next three days will provide the perfect platform for players and selectors alike to sharpen up their T20 toolkits.

Structural changes to this year’s men’s Chapple Cup and women’s Mike Shrimpton Trophy have been designed to provide an ideal warm-up for cricket's fastest format, CD’s eight men’s District Association rep teams and five of the women’s District teams in action from tomorrow in Palmerston North and Levin, respectively.

Most of the Stags are available to play for their Districts in the Chapple Cup which has converted from a one-day/T20 hybrid tournament to a fully T20 edition this season.

Brett Randell | PHOTOSPORT

That includes key pace bowler Brett Randell who will be making his District Association debut for Nelson, his first appearance on a cricket field in nine-and-a-half months.

Randell broke his collarbone last season while diving on the normally soft outfield of Eden Park’s outer oval during the Plunket Shield.

After the initial recovery, he then developed a frozen shoulder that required surgery during the winter.

Randell has returned to bowling in the nets at CD's headquarters in Hawke's Bay in the last few weeks, and has now been cleared to play this weekend, to turn out for Nelson in the Chapple Cup.

“I’m super stoked to be cleared to be back playing, and I can’t wait to get out with the 'Griffs' tomorrow,” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back on the park after after nine-and-a-half months.”

The Stags beat the Kings in last summer's Super Smash Final | PHOTOSPORT

The timing is exciting for the Stags who have meanwhile recently lost their other strike bowler, Blair Tickner to an almost identical fielding mishap during the BLACKCAPS’ second Tegel Test against the West Indies — albeit Tickner was left with a dislocated shoulder, rather than a broken bone.

Tickner was the team’s standout weapon with the ball in last summer’s title-winning campaign - he was the top wicket-taker nationally with 16 wickets at an 18.43 average, and finished the summer as Central Stags Player of the Year for a second successive season. 

But now he’s out for at least five weeks.

The Chapple Cup begins at 11.30am tomorrow (Friday, 19 December) with the first of two rounds on the opening day in a seeded draw, round two starting at 3.30pm.

Saturday brings round three from 10am, and the Chapple and Cave Cup semi-finals from 2pm (the bottom half of the table move into the Cave Cup contest, while the top qualifiers keep competing for the Chapple Cup main prize).

The Finals on Sunday morning start at 10.30am and all three days are free admission at Manawaroa Park, with livescores at CD PlayHQ.

Wairarapa heads in as the defending Chapple champion, but in the women’s Mike Shrimpton Trophy the District has had to withdraw from this season’s tournament, after an unfortunate string of injury and availabilty issues.

A host of Central Hinds will still be in action for their Districts in the new-look tournament, other than those involved in NZC’s current North v South T20s in Nelson this week.

The Mike Shrimpton Trophy will be contested by four teams representing five of the CD Districts, Nelson and Marlborough forming a combined side under the name Te Tauihu o Te Waka.

Hawke’s Bay, Manawatū and Taranaki are the other women’s teams heading to Donnelly Park for the three days of T20 action where admission is also free, with livescores at CD PlayHQ.

Tickets for the family-friendly Super Smash are on sale now, and spectators can grab discounts on game day prices by buying in advance at cdcricket.flicket.co.nz 

Claudia Green | PHOTOSPORT

After the Hinds and Stags play their opening doubleheader against 2025 women’s champions Wellington Blaze and the Wellington Firebirds in Palmerston North, they hit the road before circling back to Nelson’s Saxton Oval for the 3 January matchday at the top of the South's Saxton Oval.

Then it’s triple treats at Napier’s McLean Park with the Stags under lights on each of the three doubleheader matchdays on 3, 16 and Saturday 24 January.

The latter follows on from the 23 January CD 75th Jubilee celebrations, including the Ben Hurley-hosted LONG LUNCH event in Hawke’s Bay with special guests including Mark Greatbatch, Tony Blain, Aimee Watkins, Ross Taylor and Emily Travers.

Get LONG LUNCH tickets here or book a table of eight.

Article added: Thursday 18 December 2025