New Zealand’s first-class champions will open their Plunket Shield defence under a new coach in just under three weeks’ time.
2018/19 Plunket Shield schedule
Ben Smith won’t be an unfamiliar face to most of the Central Stags squad, however, when he steps in for regular Head Coach Heinrich Malan through the early part of the season.
Malan has been appointed by NZC to coach the New Zealand A team on their upcoming tour of UAE against Pakistan A, and following on into New Zealand A’s home A series programme against India A in November and early December.
Heinrich Malan will coach NZ A alongside Shane Bond. CDCA
In his absence, Central Districts Cricket has invited UK-based Ben Smith to once again join forces with the Stags — this time as interim Coach, overseeing their first two rounds of the 2018/19 Plunket Shield and taking them through the entirety of The Ford Trophy campaign this summer.
Smith was last engaged by CDCA two summers ago, as a specialist batting and fielding coach for their two white-ball title tilts in 2016/17. He also represented the team for two seasons in the early 2000s as an overseas player, having built a substantial County career as a player in his native England.
More recently he has been involved as a consultant coach for new Test side Ireland, and will touch down in Napier this Friday to link up with the Central Stags until mid-December.
Ben Smith will guide the Stags through this summer's Ford Trophy campaign. PHOTOSPORT
Noted CDCA CEO Pete de Wet, “Ben has extensive coaching credentials at this level and a sound handle on our New Zealand game.
“And, having worked under Heinrich in 2016/17 during both our white-ball campaigns, he’s also already well acquainted with our systems and most of our squad — so he is really ideally placed to step in and ensure the machine continues to operate smoothly. He will be able to hit the ground running, and is looking forward to renewing his relationships with our players and support staff.”
A veteran of 323 first-class matches and 40 first-class centuries who first visited New Zealand as an England Under-19 representative — playing Youth Tests at CD’s McLean Park and Pukekura Park — Northamptonshire-born Smith is not to be confused with his younger namesake, also a top order batsman, in the present-day Stags squad.
