It’s hard to keep track of all the good news coming out of the Central Stags encampment right now.

In the same week that paceman Brett Randell made world cricket headlines with an unprecedented five wickets in five balls in a first-class match — a global first in 254 years of first-class cricket; Dane Cleaver has earned a BLACKCAPS recall after having last appeared for his country in August 2023.

The flamboyant keeper-batter joins teammates Josh Clarkson and Jayden Lennox for the BLACKCAPS versus South Africa KFC T20i Series, Clarkson selected in the squad for all five matches and Cleaver and Lennox for the last two matches only.

Josh Clarkson | PHOTOSPORT

The series — all doubleheaders with the WHITE FERNS raising the curtain against South Africa’s women — starts this Sunday in Mount Maunganui, meaning the Stags’ selectors now need contingency plans for the business end of the first-class Plunket Shield.

Cleaver is fresh off his 10th first-class century in the four-dayers while Clarkson has been a standout allrounder nationally in all formats this summer.

Jayden Lennox | PHOTOSPORT

Left-arm spinner Lennox meanwhile shapes as Mr Consistent and played a key role backing up Randell (7/25) and Ray Toole (5/32) in the latest remarkable innings victory over leader Northern Districts at McLean Park.

Northern Districts won the toss in Napier and for a time were in a good spot after having sent Central in on Saturday and getting them four down for 153. But by Monday afternoon, they were sent packing, stinging from an innings defeat.

Central’s ascent tarted with Cleaver’s 109 off 137 balls.

The class player went to stumps on the second day sitting on 99 not out and took just two balls to knock off his hundred the next morning, before the Stags were dismissed for 373 — taking all four batting points.

Reigning champs Northern had headed into this sixth-round match with a handy 20-point lead at the top of the table, while the Stags had slipped to fifth after the Wellington Firebirds had dug in for a frustrating draw the previous week. 

This time Central went on to pocket the full 20 points, thumping ND by an innings and 27 runs, tearing back up the ladder into second spot with two rounds to go, and now just four points behind ND with two rounds to go.

Of course, the match will be remembered for something other than Cleaver’s ton (his ninth for the Stags, sitting alongside his New Zealand A double century); left-armer Toole’s sharp second innings 5/32 (10 maidens in his 20 overs) in another strong showing; and making leaders Northern follow on en route to a shock innings defeat.

Take a deep bow Brett Randell, who at one stage sat on the scarcely believable figures of 7/4, and had Northern stunned and scrambling at 9/5. 

Randell’s hat-trick was just the eighth in the history of Stags’ first-class cricket (the last instance having been Blair Tickner’s against the Firebirds in Nelson several years ago) and his 7/25 goes in the books as the best by a pace bowler in the 75-year history of the team, bettered only by prolific spinner Bryan Yuile’s 9/100 in 1966.

That was another good year for the Stags who are looking to add the Plunket Shield title to The Ford Trophy they have already locked away in the jubilee season.

The last time the team won both trophies was in 2023, and they face another tight race this summer with the penultimate game against starting in Rangiora on Wednesday next week.

Then it’s off to Hamilton for the last round for another match with Northern, to potentially decide the title — depending on where teams sit after the current two matches in progress and next week’s seventh of the eight rounds.

When the Stags won the 2023 Plunket Shield — polished off by a brilliant Toole 7-for against the Auckland Aces in Nelson, they did so with a depleted squad missing a number of frontline players, including captain Tom Bruce, Ajaz Patel, Will Young, Randell, Doug Bracewell and Blair Tickner.

They will now look to emulate that full-squad depth and strength as they go trophy-hunting once again in a special season.

Lennox’s first inclusion in a BLACKCAPS T20 squad follows his successful ODI debut series against India in January when he claimed 3/84 against the formidable home batting line-up, in India. 

Clarkson returns to the national side for the first time since playing eight T20is in 2024, with injury having limited his previous availability after selections. 

Cleaver will be swapped in to replace Devon Conway in the BLACKCAPS squad for the end of the series as selectors give a range of leading players a chance to impress. 

 

KFC T20i SERIES

T20 SQUAD

versus

South Africa

March 2026

Mitchell Santner — Northern Brave, captain, games 1-3

Katene Clarke*  — Northern Brave, uncapped, games 4-5

Josh Clarkson — Central Stags

Dane Cleaver — Central Stags, wicketkeeper, games 4-5

Devon Conway — Wellington Firebirds, wicketkeeper, games 1-3

Lockie Ferguson — Auckland Aces, games 2-3

Zak Foulkes — Canterbury Kings

Bevon Jacobs — Auckland Aces

Kyle Jamieson — Canterbury Kings

Nick Kelly* — Wellington Firebirds, uncapped

Tom Latham — Canterbury Kings, wicketkeeper, captain, games 4-5

Jayden Lennox* — Central Stags, uncapped, games 4-5

Cole McConchie — Canterbury Kings

Jimmy Neesham — Auckland Aces

Tim Robinson — Wellington Firebirds

Ben Sears — Wellington Firebirds

Nathan Smith — Wellington Firebirds

Ish Sodhi — Canterbury Kings

Dane Cleaver | PHOTOSPORT

*Potential T20i debut Michael Bracewell (Wellington Firebirds, calf), Adam Milne (Wellington Firebirds, ankle), Will O'Rourke (Canterbury Kings, back) and Blair Tickner (Central Stags, ankle) were not considered for the series due to injury.

Article added: Wednesday 11 March 2026