Central Stag AJAZ PATEL is fired up to add to his five Test caps following his exciting recall to the BLACKCAPS Test squad this morning.

Our 30-year-old senior spinner enjoyed a sensational start to his Test career in November last year when his second-innings five-wicket bag sealed a stunning four-run win against Pakistan — Patel turning in the man-of-the-match performance on Test debut.

Now the BLACKCAPS are off to Sri Lanka where Patel will be hoping for more of the same this August, in conditions that will hopefully suit his game.

Patel went on to capture 13 wickets across his maiden Test Series in UAE late last year — helping the BLACKCAPS achieve their first away series win over Pakistan in 49 years.

Two home Test matches against Sri Lanka in New Zealand conditions proved fruitless for the left-armer, however, before he rejoined the Stags to help seal the special Burger King Super Smash and Plunket Shield title double of 2018/19.

Previously Patel had been the top first-class (Plunket Shield) wicket-taker in New Zealand for a head-turning three seasons in a row, but his current-season form might take some beating.

He’s been spending the last few months playing club cricket in England, for Surrey first division team Cranleigh in the Surrey Championship.

As a first division team, Cranleigh is one rung below the Premier club division where most of the top pros are to be found, but loyal Patel went back this year to help his little old club — he previously spent an off-season with them in 2010 when he was a 21-year-old youngster still finding his own way in the game.

Now Patel is an international star and Cranleigh are top of their one-day table — a chance to break into the premier division for next year; plus  they’re the Surrey T20 champions, having knocked out a string of Premier sides en route.

Having won the Surrey cup, they qualified for the South England regional finals that were held overnight. Opening the batting, Patel helped Cranleigh take out their semi-final and then the final to win the South England group, which means they are into the last eight nationwide of England’s T20 club knockout.

Somewhere in between all this, Patel was hopping on a train up to London to help the BLACKCAPS in the nets during their World Cup campaign, but his own run of one-day results is one for the books. He’s taken a phenomenal seven bags of five or more wickets from his last eight league games — plus a four-fa in the remaining game:

6/14

5/48

5/67

4/33

6/41

6/37

7/26

5/66

All up, Patel has pocketed a phenomenal 52 wickets from 12 matches for Cranleigh at an average of just 8.58!

So Cranleigh’s opponents will be breathing a sigh of relief as the BLACKCAPS gear up for two Tests, and then play three Twenty20 Internationals in Sri Lanka. But Cranleigh’s loss will be the BLACKCAPS’ gain.

As a contracted Central Stag, following the tour Patel will be back with the “Staggies” in Napier, where our squad will head into preseason camp before the 2019/20 Plunket Shield title defence begins on 21 October 2019.

CDCA congratulates both Ross Taylor and Ajaz Patel on their BLACKCAPS selections today. Timeless Taylor will head to Sri Lanka having played 92 Test matches for New Zealand — and with nine Tests in all on the menu this season, the prospect of bringing up a century of Test match appearances for his country is well and truly lit.

BLACKCAPS Tour of Sri Lanka

[all dates are in NZ time]

August 8, Chilaw Marians Cricket Ground: Warm-up v Sri Lanka A

August 14-18, Galle: First TEST

August 22-26, Colombo: Second TEST

August 29, Chilaw Marians Cricket Ground: T20 warm-up v Sri Lanka Board President’s XI

August 31, Maligawatta, Colombo: First T20i

September 2, Maligawatta, Colombo: Second T20i

September 6, Pallekalle: Third T20i

BLACKCAPS 2019/20 FULL SCHEDULE

BLACKCAPS Test Squad to Sri Lanka

Kane Williamson (c)
Todd Astle
Tom Blundell
Trent Boult
Colin de Grandhomme
Tom Latham
Henry Nicholls
Ajaz Patel
Jeet Raval
Will Somerville
Mitchell Santner
Tim Southee
Ross Taylor
Neil Wagner
BJ Watling (wk)

Article added: Monday 29 July 2019