Dane Cleaver is poised to become just the third Central Stag to rack up 100 List A one-day appearances for the national champions as they head to Dunedin with two uncapped players.

Tomorrow’s Ford Trophy match at University of Otago Oval is the team’s first away excursion this season, following a high-scoring runfest in the season opener at Saxton Oval last week.

That match produced a Stags List A record sixth-wicket partnership of 172 between 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 and Sam Cassidy, including a brilliant maiden century on debut of 137 off 93 balls from 22-year-old Cassidy as the Stags got within 62 runs of chasing down Northern Districts’ ND record team total of 403/6 — denying Northern a bonus point.

 

 

Cassidy’s century is the highest score by any batter batting at seven in the history of The Ford Trophy — that dates back to the 1971/72 season, and was not far off a world record for the same.

The sixth-wicket partnership shattered the previous Stags record of 115 that had been held by Brad Schmulian and Cleaver since the 2019/20 season.

However, the result on Wednesday brought no points on the table for the Stags and now allrounder Clarkson — who smashed his 74 runs off 60 balls, has become the latest to depart to the BLACKCAPS T20 squad, while opening bowler Brett Randell has been called into the New Zealand A red-ball team to play India A. 

That’s opened the door to more potential Stags Ford Trophy debuts tomorrow, this time for powerfully-built young allrounder Oscar Mabin and former Volts allrounder Jake Gibson.

At least one of the uncapped duo will play, and both have experience at the ground —  29-year-old right-armer Gibson bringing plenty of inside knowledge, having shifted up from Otago over the winter.

Mabin meanwhile made his red-ball Plunket Shield debut, at this very ground last December in his sole previous Domestic appearance for Central.

 

 

 

Cleaver has become an icon of the Stags since his one-day debut — coincidentally also an away game against the Volts, in Invercargill in January 2012. 

At the Central Districts Cricket Association’s 75th Jubilee last season, the 34-year-old was one of two players, with 𝐓𝐨𝐦 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐞, selected in all three formats in the Central Stags’ all-time teams of the last 75 seasons.

A free-scoring, genuine keeper-batter, he has 2,273 runs in the one-day format for the Stags, including two centuries, an unbeaten 99* and 13 half centuries, and has a further six one-day caps for various New Zealand sides including the BLACKCAPS.

He is already the Stags’ most-capped player of the current era, with two retired captains — Mathew Sinclair (145) and Jamie How (108) — the ony players to have played more one-dayers for Central.

Cleaver is also the team’s wicketkeeping dismissals record-holder in all three formats, and captain Bruce says it’s impossible to underestimate how much the proud Manawatū rep has contributed to the team’s results over the years.

 

 

“Dane is a great player on the field and an even better person off the field,” said Bruce.

“He has contributed so much to the Stags over the last 14 years, both on and off the field.

“To reach 100 Ford Trophy games is no mean feat, and it’s testament to his work ethic, consistency, and his attitude of always learning and looking to grow his game. 

“Dane deserves more recognition than he gets, and at the Stags we know how great a player he is — and we value him immensely.”

Bruce added that the team had been “incredibly lucky” to have had a player of that calibre play for 14 seasons during which time the Stags have lifted The Ford Trophy five times.

“We are all incredibly proud of the player and person he has become during that time,” he said, “and we’re looking to make his 100th Ford Trophy game tomorrow a memorable one.”

The match was originally scheduled to be played a day earlier, but was shifted back a day in a knock-on effect from the Volts’ travel disruption last week.

 

 

Following this second round, the Stags return to Nelson’s Saxton Oval for a big match against the Auckland Aces on Wednesday this week (10.30am, 4 November).

That will be the Stags’ last 50-over appearance in Nelson this season, but the Stags will be back at Saxton Oval on Sunday, 10 January with the Central Hinds for a Super Smash T20 doubleheader — with Super Smash tickets on sale from late November.

Admission to University of Otago Oval tomorrow is free, with a free livestream and livescoring available here at cdcricket.co.nz

 

 

2026/27

ROUND TWO

 

10.30am Sunday, 1 November 2026

Central Stags v Otago Volts

University of Otago Oval, Dunedin

Tom Bruce — captain, Taranaki

Taylor Bettelheim — Hawke’s Bay

Sam Cassidy — Hawke’s Bay

Dane Cleaver — wicketkeeper, Manawatū, 100th Stags one-dayer

Toby Findlay — Hawke’s Bay

Jake Gibson  — uncapped, Wairarapa

Ajaz Patel — Hawke’s Bay

Oscar Mabin — uncapped, Whanganui

Angus Schaw — Hawke’s Bay

Brad Schmulian — Hawke’s Bay

Ray Toole — Manawatū

Will Young — Taranaki

 

Head Coach - Heinrich Malan

Assistant Coach - Aldin Smith

 

 

 

Article added: Saturday 31 October 2026