Our Central Stags opened their Dream11 Super Smash summer by smashing a record T20 win at McLean Park — beating archrivals the Knights by a monumental 120 runs, with 17 big hits just one shy of smashing the NZ record, set at Pukekura Park three seasons ago, for most sixes in an innings.

With 17 sixes in the Stags innings — three of which went onto or over the roof of the big stands, the Stags produced an explosive innings after captain Tom Bruce won the toss and batted on a balmy Hawke’s Bay evening.

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The total of 221 for five was the third highest ever at McLean Park in Super Smash T20s — then they rolled the under-pressure Knights for just 101 in 13.5 overs to cement the Stags’ highest ever winning margin, which is also the third highest margin in all New Zealand T20 history by any team.

New Zealand's highest ever T20 winning run margins:

   134     Canterbury Kings v Otago Volts, Hagley Oval  2017/18

   131     Knights v Central Stags, McLean Park  2018/19

   120     Central Stags v Knights, McLean Park  2019/20

Highest Super Smash T20 totals at McLean Park:

   230/5  Knights v Central Stags  2018/19

   225/3  Central Stags v Canterbury Kings  2018/19

   221/5 Central Stags v Knights   2019/20

Worldwide, that 120-run winning margin sits in the top 50 of all T20 international leagues, with 17 sixes in an innings coming in at just six big hits off the T20 world record. A “smashing” start to the Dream 11 Super Smash season from the national champions!

 

Green's a winner

 

The first game of the season was a rematch of last summer’s two top teams and absolute delight for the Hawke’s Bay public who were treated to a free admission season opener to celebrate the Stags’ 2019 championship title over the Knights.

The game continued a recent trend of heady wins between the two big rival teams in the shortest format.

A maiden T20 wicket for Ryan Watson

Last season, the strong Knights set their own record at our same ground — a tough night for our eventual champions, while the previous summer’s Grand Final — also between the Stags and Knights, in 2018 — was another one-sided win to the Knights.

The Stags got their own back by blowing the Knights off the park to win the 2019 Grand Final, and now they’ve opened the new holiday summer with an absolute speccie — and this despite missing a number of star players through injury.

The Knights by contrast had a strong line-up with all the white-ball BLACKCAPS available for the early rounds.

The Stags were wary of Ish Sodhi

But it wasn’t a good night for Scott Kuggeleijn who got pelted for 26 runs off the 16th over as Kieran Noema-Barnett and Tom Bruce pasted him for four sixes, or Daryl Mitchell whose penultimate over when for 21 as Josh Clarkson put up two more bombs and Noema-Barnett added another.

Earlier, George Worker and Dane Cleaver had got the Stags off to an exciting start, finding the boundary several times in the opening two overs before Worker swivelled into his trademark punishing pull shot to cane Knights newbie Matt Fisher for the first big six of the night.

The Knights juggled their attack from the outset but it made little difference to the opening pair with Worker reaching 42 off 19 balls before he bowled by a good nut from the debutant at 70/1.

Big screen fun!

Cleaver (39 off 32) and new man Christian Leopard (13 off 9) wisely treated Ish Sodhi with respect before Leopard slapped his first six off Fisher’s next over. Cleaver’s first bomb was a class straight drive over Kuggeleijn’s head and at the 10-over mark the Stags were well on their way to going big at 102 for two.

Dane Cleaver

Leopard and Cleaver’s departure ushered in a pair of powerful strikers in Bruce and Noema-Barnett. It took veteran Noema-Barnett just five balls to loft his first six as he looked to play his free-swinging game of old.

Kieran Noema-Barnett's night

It would turn out to be a brilliant night for the Napier local with both bat and ball — carving six memorable sixes in his 25-ball knock of 47 as he just kept racheting up the strike rate at the death, before finally being run out in the last over — by which time the runs were well and truly on the board.

Later in the evening he would add a T20 career-best 3-10 with the ball in the ex-County pro’s 72nd T20 for the Staggies.

Bruce was on fire too, with some sweet shooting as he struck three sixes and a boundary in his 21-ball 38 in a 75-run stand with Noema-Barnett. All the side was standing and delivering, a confident team effort on a top deck.

Tom Bruce

Sundown brought dew on the grass and a slippery start to the Stags’ fielding effort as a few catches went begging. But with the Knights needing 11 an over from the outset, when Seth Rance broke through in the third over and then Ajaz Patel struck with just his second ball of the night — the first of two textbook stumpings from Cleaver, the Stags had time to adjust and reset.

On T20 debut for the Stags, Ryan Watson found himself bowling to a couple of internationals in Daryl Mitchell and Anton Devcich in his first over but had a timely maiden wicket with dangerous Devcich (35 off 23) caught off his fifth delivery.

 

 

Now wickets started falling almost every over and the pressure on the Knights began to skyrocket.

After Ben Wheeler and Noema-Barnett had both struck in the middle stages, a blinder of a throw from George Worker swooping in at backward point was one of the highlights of the night — a direct hit at the bowler’s end after Daryl Mitchell had taken off for a single, only to realise batsman Kuggeleijn had zero interest in setting off himself.

It ended Mitchell’s brief knock at 13 with the Knights now 93 for seven in the 12th — and with Noema-Barnett striking twice in the next over, it was all over bar the shouting.

Both Patel and Noema-Barnett (below) claimed T20 career bests with the ball as the Stags wrapped it up with oceans of time to spare, crucially with a strong run-a-ball net run rate in what looks to be shaping as an epic summer for batting in hot, dry conditions.

Career best 3-10 for Kieran

The Stags now hit the road for their first away match at the Basin Reserve this Wednesday 18 December before another rematch with the wounded Knights, this time in Hamilton under lights for a televised game this Friday December 20 — the familiar scene of the last two summer’s Grand Finals.

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It’s T20, it’s the Stags, it’s the Knights, it’s Seddon Park, anything could happen. But the Knights will be wary, particularly with the expected return of Blair Tickner — who sat out the Napier clash as he returned to full fitness from a lat strain sustained in The Ford Trophy.

The Stags will then turn their attention to their next home match at McLean Park, a Xmas cheer match against the Canterbury Kings on 23 December.

The 23 December doubleheader will start with the Central Hinds playing the Canterbury Magicians — our Hinds having already taken a good 19-run win off the highly rated Magicians in the first round.

Central Hinds batting star Natalie Dodd

 

It’s the first time most of the team will have played at their Napier home ground of McLean Park and we’d love to see a big warm Hawke’s Bay welcome for our Hallyburton Johnstone Shield national champions in the great value  T20 double-bill.

Gates will open at 2.30PM with the Central Hinds toss at 3PM ahead of a 3.30PM start time, co-captain Jess Watkin coming off a quick 95 in her last game - on of the two top T20 Hinds scores of all time.

Following the women’s match, the Stags will be on the park from 7PM to play the Kings under lights. Please note that while the 23 December doubleheader will be called live on Radio Sport, it’s not a TV game so the only way to catch the action is to head down to the park!

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After a brilliant opening win from the Staggies and a fun-filled evening for everyone at McLean Park on the night, this is one event you do not want to miss!

Remember, wear green on the night or post a selfie with The Stag mascot using our hashtags #LOVETHESTAGS or #CENTRALHINDS and you’ll be in to win spot prizes, movie vouchers, and more!

Article added: Sunday 15 December 2019