The CENTRAL STAGS made it two out of two against Northern Districts this season to thwart ND's hopes of retaining the Plunket Shield - and then celebrated with six players named for the BLACKCAPS' tour of Bangladesh, as well as Curtis Heaphy's selection for the impending New Zealand A tour of Sri Lanka.

An innings victory in Napier over Northern Districts was followed up by a thrilling 25-run victory in Hamilton on the last afternoon of the 2025/26 season as spinners Ajaz Patel and Brad Schmulian got the job done, in fading light - the pace bowlers not permitted to continue bowling in the Seddon Park conditions.

Patel finished with a two-for while Schmulian's golden arm saw him snap up 3/5 to wrap up a match that had been Northern's to win, after an aggressive Robbie O'Donnell century got Northern within sight of their target in the last session.

But when Schmulian had O'Donnell caught on 101 (off 134 balls) and then removed Tim Pringle as well next over, the Stags were back on top.

The 12 outright points were just the tonic, lifting the Stags into the top three for the season, with Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Josh Clarkson, Will Young, Jayden Lennox and (back from the injury tent) Blair Tickner all named the next morning in the BLACKCAPS squad to carry on to Bangladesh.

Earlier in the Plunket Shield eighth round match, captain Tom Bruce had also produced his 12th first-class century in his team's hour of need.

But after top-scoring in the first innings in a 136-run stand with Dane Cleaver (76), Bruce had to drop down the order in the second dig after developing sciatica.

The limping captain soldiered on herocially in the field, at times captaining from slip at one end only and hobbling off to the sidelines for the overs in between.

Tom Bruce bravery | MBUTCHER

But all's well that ends well and the top-three finish in the 100th edition of the Plunket Shield means the Stags should have a favourable draw next season, and will have to play champions Canterbury only once.

The Stags were the only team that beat Canterbury outright this summer, but a subsequent loss in Rangiora evened the ledger and ultimately cost the Stags a shot at the title.

Their own summer will forever be defined by Brett Randell's career best 7/25 against ND that included a new world record five wickets in five balls in first-class cricket.

Ray Toole | MBUTCHER

Randell’s opening partner, left-armer Ray Toole, meanwhile put in a late run to finish as the Plunket Shield season’s top wicket-taker for the first time: 35 victims at 23.57 including two five-wicket bags and, on the final day of the season, his 150th first-class wicket in a 48-match career.

Toole had been responsible for the Stags lifting the Plunket Shield in 2023 with a career-best 7/57 against the Aces on the final day that season — the Stags pipping Canterbury on a number of wins countback.

He says refining his action has led to more consistent rewards.

“I’ve done a lot of work, breaking down my action, and it just kind of clicked in this back half [of the Plunket Shield] in particular,” says Toole.

“I’d felt like I’d hit a bit of rhythm just as the one-dayers were finishing, as we headed into The Ford Trophy final; and then in the prep for the first four-dayer of the back half.

“My rhythm picked up from there, from that second innings in particular against the Firebirds, and then with a quick turnaround I just carried on that momentum.”

Toole said the intense hunt for this season’s Plunket Shield championship showed why first-class cricket holds a special place for cricketers.

“There were no real dead rubbers and it was awesome for first-class cricket, especially for Otago.

“It was a great effort by them, the way they finished their season, and obviously for Canterbury who put the icing on their cake.

“It was tough for us when we lost to them last week [in Rangiora], knowing that we were out of the race.

“It hurt, as we’d played a lot of good cricket.

“There were missed opportunities, but there was still one good opportunity for us to get back up the table — and as our last game progressed, we just tried to make sure we would finish on a high.

“So it was certainly nervous times watching 'Robbie O' smacking sixes around Seddon Park, ND racing towards their target at one stage — but a cracker at the end for us.

“There was a bit of weather as well, that we kind of escaped, so it was all happening.

“We often call Brad Schmulian a golden arm, and he's a guy that always wants the ball. You can always turn to him in a time of need, and he'll get you either one or three or four, and with the light — it got pretty dark towards the end, it was just brilliant to have his leg-spin from one end and of course Ajaz at the other.”

Brad Schmulian | MBUTCHER

Schmulian took 3/5 to win the game; Toole had finished with 3/42 in a season in which he and Randell led the attack.

Usual spearhead Blair Tickner missed most of the campaign following his BLACKCAPS recall, dislocated shoulder on the Test field and subsequent ankle injury.

Toole’s 150th first-class wicket (Bharat Popli, on the final afternoon of the season) has a story to it.

“After the previous ND game (an innings victory in Napier in which he took 5/32 in the second innings), my dad messaged me from Australia where my mum and dad live to say I was only 13 wickets away from 150 first-class wickets.

“I thought that was a bit of a tall ask, but it was a personal goal I’d had and was something cool to strive towards.

"The last day in Hamilton was my dad’s birthday and my parents were over from Melbourne to see it, so it was a special birthday gift for him, and for me as well, as it was nice that he was here to watch it.”

Toole had overtaken Auckland left-arm spinner Rohit Gulati as the leading wicket-taker with a round to go, Gulati finishing fourth-equal on 27 wickets (he was 12th man in the last round), and ND spinner Pringle (31) and Canterbury’s consistent Fraser Sheat (28) completing the top three.

Canterbury's Henry Nicholls and Schmulian (717 runs at 55.15 from 14 innings, with two centuries) were chased by 21-year old rising star Lachie Stackpole, the left-handed Auckland Ace finishing his season with 667 runs from 14 innings at 51.30, also with two centuries.

Final points (number of wins)

99 Canterbury (4) - winners on net runs per wicket

99 Otago (4)

87 Central Stags (4)

85 Auckland Aces (3)

82 Northern Districts (3)

42 Wellington Firebirds (0)

Job done | MBUTCHER

Article added: 31 March 2026