New Zealand’s 2015/16 first-class champions have been found, yet much intrigue remains in the Plunket Shield.
At least five notable quests are alive heading into the final round of free four-day action that begins tomorrow in Napier, Whangarei and Wellington.
• Already the new title-holders (having put themselves beyond reach on the points table after round nine), can the Mondiale Auckland Aces now go unbeaten through a first-class season?
• Can Aces opener Michael Guptill-Bunce emulate Knight Bharat Popli and achieve 1000 runs in the domestic first-class season?
1000 runs in a domestic (Plunket Shield) season
1986/87 Martin Crowe (Central Districts) 1348 runs @103.69
1988/89 Graeme Hick (Northern Districts) 1228 runs @94.46
1991/92 Jeff Crowe (Auckland) 1063 runs @62.52
2006/07 Michael Papps (Canterbury) 1005 runs @91.36
2015/16* Bharat Popli (Northern Districts) 1060 runs @66.25
and, with two possible innings remaining:
2015/16* Michael Guptill-Bunce (Auckland) 811 runs @47.70
Close now: Peter Fulton
• Will Canterbury captain Peter Fulton reach 10,000 career runs? (Current tally: 9,971). If successful, Fulton will become the 25th New Zealander to reach the milestone.
• Will Aces wicketkeeper Brad Cachopa add the domestic season dismissals record to his already record-breaking season for the Aces? (Current tally: 42 catches.)
The New Zealand record for most domestic (Plunket Shield) dismissals in a season is Derek de Boorder's 44 (43ct/1st) in 2012/13 for the SBS Bank Otago Volts. (Editor's note: Chris Nevin's 46 for Wellington in the 2000/01 season included five catches against Pakistan).
• Will Canterbury wicketkeeper Cameron Fletcher (31 catches / 2 stumpings) claim Lee Germon's Canterbury dismissals record for a season (31/3, set in 1991/92)?
Canterbury keeper-batsman Cam Fletcher
The intrigue doesn't stop there. While the Devon Hotel Central Stags are now playing for pride, as the only other team to have won a domestic trophy this season (albeit now ravaged by injuries), could they become the first and only side to defeat the Aces in 2015/16 when they take them on in the final round clash at Napier McLean’s Park?
Can the Volts haul themselves up off the bottom of the table at the death, to push the fifth-placed Stags down to the least desirable wooden spoon position?
And will the Volts’ match against the Knights in Whangarei see the debut of a (North) Otago 17-year-old in Nathan Smith?
All this and more will be answered in the next episode of Plunket Shield.
Round 10
All matches are FREE entry four-day matches, starting at 10.30am on Wednesday 30 March 2016
• Devon Hotel Central Stags v Mondiale Auckland Aces at McLean Park, Napier
Devon Hotel Central Stags (one change, Blair Tickner comes in for Kurt Richards (unavailable): Will Young (captain), Doug Bracewell, Tom Bruce, Dane Cleaver (w), Liam Dudding, Greg Hay, Ajaz Patel, Navin Patel, Mitch Renwick, Ben Smith, Blair Tickner, Ryan Watson
Mondiale Auckland Aces (one change, Elliott Herd for Mark Chapman (unavailable); if selected spinner Elliott Herd will be on debut): Michael Bates (captain), Brad Cachopa, Colin de Grandhomme, Elliott Herd, Lockie Ferguson, Donovan Grobbelaar, Michael Guptill-Bunce, Shawn Hicks, Tarun Nethula, Robbie O'Donnell, Matt Quinn, Jeet Raval
• Wellington Firebirds v Canterbury at the Basin Reserve, Wellington
Firebirds captain Michael Papps
Wellington Firebirds (two changes, Alecz Day and Jamie Gibson in for injured Brent Arnel and Scott Borthwick): Matt Bacon, Tom Blundell (w), Fraser Colson, Alecz Day, Jamie Gibson, Iain McPeake, Stephen Murdoch, Michael Papps (captain), Jeetan Patel, Michael Pollard, Anurag Verma, Luke Woodcock
Canterbury: (two changes, Kyle Jamieson and Ed Nuttall for Logan van Beek and Matt Henry): Peter Fulton (captain), Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Chad Bowes, Leo Carter, Michael Davidson, Andrew Ellis, Cameron Fletcher (w), Kyle Jamieson,Tim Johnston, Ken McClure, Ed Nuttall
• SKYCITY Northern Knights v SBS Bank Otago Volts at Cobham Oval, Whangarei
SKYCITY Northern Knights (one change, Scott Kuggeleijn returns from injury for Zak Gibson): Daniel Flynn (captain), James Baker, Dean Brownlie, Anton Devcich, Tony Goodin, Brett Hampton, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Bharat Popli, Tim Seifert, Joe Walker, BJ Watling
SBS Bank Otago Volts (one change, Rhys Phillips in for Blair Soper): Michael Bracewell, Derek de Boorder (w), Jacob Duffy, Ryan Duffy, Josh Finnie, Anaru Kitchen, Jimmy Neesham, Rhys Phillips, Craig Smith, Nathan Smith, Christi Viljoen, Brad Wilson (captain)
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All Plunket Shield matches are livescored at www.blackcaps.co.nz
