New Zealand cricket aficionados will return their attention to domestic cricket today with the national first-class champions to be found in the final round of Plunket Shield, brought to you by Budget Car and Truck Rental.
Five of the six teams remain in mathematical contention for the 2014/15 title, but with brilliant weather forecast at all three venues — Auckland, Mount Maunganui and Napier — and the likelihood of leading contenders picking up at least some first innings bonus points, the fifth-placed Wellington Firebirds will need a convergence of miracles, while the fourth-placed SBS Bank Otago Volts will have a nervous eye on the livescoring for the key clash between Canterbury and the SKYCITY Northern Knights at Mount Maunganui’s Bay Oval.
Top of the table Canterbury is the only team in control of its own destiny, having brought a 10-point buffer over the Mondiale Auckland Aces into the last round. A maximum of eight bonus points per team are available, while an outright win (worth an extra 12 points) will be enough on its own to give defending champions Canterbury a repeat championship title.
Trying to stop them will be the third-placed Knights, who have suffered a triple setback at the death with the loss of regular captain Daniel Flynn, stand-in captain BJ Watling and triple centurion Dean Brownlie all to injury ahead of the crunch game. Meanwhile, the second-placed Aces will be in the unusual position of barracking for the Knights while hunting an outright of their own at Colin Maiden Park to give themselves the chance of claiming the coveted Shield.
An experienced line-up has seen Canterbury win three of its last four matches, however their upset four-wicket loss to the Volts in Dunedin last week will give their chasing rivals a flicker of hope. All three of the four-day matches are free entry, beginning 10.30am and live-scored at www.blackcaps.co.nz
Round 10: All matches start at 10.30am, Wednesday 1 April – Saturday 4 April
- Mondiale Auckland Aces v SBS Bank Otago Volts at Colin Maiden Park, Auckland
- SKYCITY Northern Knights v Canterbury at Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui
- Devon Hotel Central Stags v Wellington Firebirds at McLean Park, Napier
View the points table
Social media hashtag: #PlunketShield
MOST RUNS, MOST WICKETS
The Aces’ Colin Munro, fresh from breaking the world record for most sixes in a first-class match in last week’s round, and Volt Jacob Duffy, who has claimed three five-wicket bags in his last three games after previously never having taken one at first-class level, now lead the way with Most Runs and Most Wickets respectively this season after their late run. However, it’s a squeeze at the top of the charts with the possibility that either player could be knocked from their perch in the final round. Canterbury’s Andrew Ellis is the leading all-rounder.
Leading 2014/15 Plunket Shield performers heading into final round
Most Runs
899 Colin Munro, Mondiale Auckland Aces
851 Stephen Murdoch, Wellington Firebirds
837 Andrew Ellis, Canterbury
831 Will Young, Devon Hotel Central Stags
786 Peter Fulton, Canterbury
770 Neil Broom, Canterbury
761 Jeet Raval, Mondiale Auckland Aces
750 Brad Cachopa, Mondiale Auckland Aces
707 Henry Nicholls, Canterbury
691 Dean Brownlie, SKYCITY Northern Knights
Most Wickets
43 Jacob Duffy, SBS Bank Otago Volts
41 Todd Astle, Canterbury
36 Graeme Aldridge, SKYCITY Northern Knights
35 Brent Arnel, Wellington Firebirds
35 Neil Wagner, SBS Bank Otago Volts
34 Michael Bates, Mondiale Auckland Aces
32 James Baker, SKYCITY Northern Knights
30 Matt McEwan, Wellington Firebirds
29 Doug Bracewell, Devon Hotel Central Stags
27 Andrew Ellis, Canterbury
