It's Ford Trophy time this Sunday and for Stags keeper-batsman DANE CLEAVER there's no better place to get back into the serious fun of 50-over cricket than in his home town of Palmerston North.

After missing all of last season's Ford Trophy campaign due to his maiden New Zealand A call-up, Dane can't wait for 11am this Sunday - 17 Nov 2019 -  and is calling on the good people of Palmy North to #FillTheFitz for his homecoming!!

Not many people realise that the longtime Stag is Kane Williamson's first cousin, so you definitely want his autograph at Fitzherbert Park where the gates will open at 10am ready for the Stags to clash with Canterbury in a blistering opening round of great value family entertainment, with all the trimmings on site.

A double Ford Trophy national champion with the Stags in recent seasons, Dane is on track to reach his 50th Stags cap in The Ford Trophy this summer, with Sunday set to be his 45th match.

The talented and versatile player played a few matches as a specialist batsman when he first broke into the side, but today he's our longtime number one gloveman - and has 43 catches and seven stumpings all up, to go with 838 runs including one century and five half centuries. He even has his own hashtag: #GODANEY!

Let's hear from Dane ahead of Round One this Sunday.

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Hey Dane, what's it going to be like for you playing Ford Trophy cricket again after almost two years?

DANE CLEAVER: "It’s a format I really enjoy! I didn’t play a Ford Trophy game at all last season, so I’m really looking forward to just getting out there and playing 50-over cricket again with the Stags. It was a very weird feeling not to have been part of a Stags campaign, actually - it felt very strange, but I really enjoyed playing for New Zealand A which was a great learning opportunity."

What does the chance to play in your home town mean for you?

DANE: "I think all the Stags are really excited to get back to Palmy, because we’ve had some very good results here over the recent years.

"With a few Palmy locals in the team, we’re all excited to be getting home and playing here in front of our friends and family and the Palmy-faithful home crowd as well, and in the opening round which is exciting.

"Home games are important and we want to get a result for the home crowd. The family is always talking about it — they love coming and watching, big fans of the Stags, so it is special for me to play in Palmy. I know we’ll all appreciate seeing a few friendly faces there in the crowd and it will be good to catch up."

Last time we played Canterbury here two years ago, it was a big-scoring game, an exciting finish - an excellent win by the Stags...

DANE: "Yeah that was a great game! We tend to do well at this ground. I have great memories from the last few times I’ve played for the Stags at Fitzherbert Park — we’ve had some pretty good wins against the Otago Volts and Wellington Firebirds as well. I have lots of positive memories."

How will it go transitioning from three, quite tough rounds of the first-class Plunket Shield over the last three weeks, straight into white-ball cricket and the faster pace of The Ford Trophy?

DANE: We’ve got a lot of experience in the team now, and all of us have had a lot of opportunities across our different roles, so I think you just fall back on that experience to handle the change of format, and just take each game as it comes.

"I think you just go back to basics, stick to your game plans, and think about how you personally go about it. It's the same for all teams and for me personally, I’m up for embracing whatever role I get given with the bat or gloves, and hopefully winning a few games for the team."

You know 'Fitzy Park" as well as anyone, what kind of conditions are you expecting?

DANE: "I’m sure if the weather is good then the pitch will play well, because traditionally Fitzy is a really good pitch and the conditions will hopefully reflect that on the day. Seth Rance is our weatherman so he’ll be keeping a keen eye on the forecast! It’s awesome to see a campaign to #FillTheFitz and I certainly hope we’re going to fill the Fitzy on Sunday!"

The team is yet to be named, but it will look quite different to last season when the squad lost a whole herd of players to national call-ups and a few injuries.

DANE: "Yeah it was a very young Stags team last year, and yet we were still only one result away from making the playoffs.

"It shows we have talent coming through, and I think we’ve also just seen that in the Plunket Shield where eight of our regular first-class players were out injured, and we had three men making their debuts in two weeks - and yet we’ve got up to second on the table with a win and a draw. It’s good to see guys making their debuts but also contributing to the results.

"Last summer's Ford Trophy turned out to be a very good opportunity for the future of the Stags. We brought in a number of players like Ma’ara Ave and Felix Murray who got their first taste of List A cricket, it was a great opportunity for them — and it means that if our depth is tested again this summer, we’re the better for it.

"They’re in a better position to come in if they're needed and I have no doubt we'll be very competitive."

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE GATE FROM 10AM THIS SUNDAY

$15 adults | $5 juniors | $30 family pass

CENTRAL STAGS v CANTERBURY

Round One | 11am Sunday 17 November 2019

Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North

See the Stags' full FORD TROPHY schedule

#LOVETHESTAGS #FILLTHEFITZ

Article added: Wednesday 13 November 2019