A dominant all-round performance has booked the Central Stags into Sunday’s Ford Trophy Grand Final against arch rivals Canterbury - with Tom Bruce returning from the ICC World Cup for tomorrow's decider.

The Stags’ one-sided 211-run victory over the Wellington Firebirds in Friday’s Elimination Final sets up a 2023 Grand Final replay - the Stags having won the title on that occasion at Napier’s McLean Park, after an unbeaten Josh Clarkson century).

The knockout win was Central’s third biggest all-time victory, by margin of runs and came after Firebirds captain Nick Kelly sent in the Stags this morning at a fine Cello Basin Reserve.

After a good start for the Firebirds - the Stags having lost openers Curtis Heaphy and Brad Schmulian early in a slow start, Will Young’s sixth List A century for Central (105 off 103 balls, his 13th one-day century overall) in a run-a-ball, 165-run third-wicket stand with Dean Foxcroft (89) saw Central gain control over the innings.

PHOTOSPORT

After Foxcroft departed in the 36th over, Dane Cleaver took over and turbo-boosted the run rate some more, with his fearless 75 off 40 balls including four sixes.

Michael Snedden got the prize wicket of Young at 260/4, but that only exposed the Firebirds to a double-barrelled assault from Cleaver and Josh Clarkson (47 not out off 19) at the death, the pair taking four sixes off James Hartshorn’s 48th over alone.

So from unlikely beginnings, the Stags reached their record Ford Trophy total in matches against the Firebirds team specifically, 349/5 beating their previous best in games between these two teams in 2016 (324).

A chase of 350 left the Firebirds needing to hunt down the second highest total of the competition this summer, but the Stags proved themselves just as potent in the field, dismissing the Firebirds’ top three for single figures inside the first five overs of the chase.

It was an uphill struggle from there for the locals for whom allrounder Nathan Smith’s 30 was the top score in response, with Peter Younghusband left unbeaten on 28*.

Smith was undone by a deadly direct hit from Schmulian off Ray Toole’s bowling at 105/8 in the 26th over as the Stags attack showed they could carry the load without injured stars Blair Tickner (ankle) and Ajaz Patel (calf) at the business end of their campaign.

Brett Randell (3/30) picked up his 50th Stags List A wicket to take himself to 99 career List A wickets (all teams) overall as his team gets ready for another Grand Final at the Cello Basin Reserve - having beaten the same opponents, Canterbury here last summer in the men’s Super Smash title bout.

The free admission 2025/26 Ford Trophy Grand Final begins at 10.30am on Sunday at the Basin with a multi-camera free livestream with commentary and livescoring at www.cdcricket.co.nz

THE FORD TROPHY ELIMINATION FINAL

Friday, 20 February, Cello Basin Reserve

Q2 Central Stags beat Q3 Wellington Firebirds by 211 runs

SCORECARD

THE FORD TROPHY 2025/26 GRAND FINAL


10.30am Sunday, 22 February, Cello Basin Reserve

Q1 Canterbury v Central Stags 

Article added: Friday 20 February 2026