A key round five of Plunket Shield is underway in Nelson, Auckland and Alexandra as New Zealand’s first-class comp hits the midway point of the competition — the last round in the 2017 calendar year before all teams switch to white-ball mode for their Ford Trophy one-dayers and Burger King Super Smash T20s, the Plunket Shield resuming in March.
Central Stags v Wellington Firebirds at Saxton Oval, Stoke, Nelson
Toss won by: Stags captain Will Young who elected to bowl
Scores
This big top-of-the-table clash between the only two unbeaten teams sees Stags and 2017 BLACKCAPS allrounder Ben Wheeler making his first appearance of the season; it's also his first Plunket Shield appearance in almost 12 months. All eyes will also be on Jesse Ryder who has scored a century in each of his last three innings at this venue.
For the first time this season, changes have finally been forced upon the previously unchanged and red hot Wellington Firebirds squad as they lose Tom Blundell, Logan van Beek and Hamish Bennett to the NZ A squad. Young Eastern Suburbs and Wellington A wicketkeeper and right-hand-batsman Lauchie Johns comes in for Blundell on first-class debut, while 24-year-old right-arm fast bowler Travis Muller, who is playing club cricket in Taita, is a former South Africa Under-19 representative who has played 42 first-class matches in South Africa, six of them for the Cape Cobras and 36 for Western Province with a career best of 6-54.
SELECTED MILESTONES
- Greg Hay requires 62 runs to reach 4000 first-class runs for the Central Stags
- Doug Bracewell requires 51 runs to reach 2000 first-class runs for the Central Stags and one wicket to reach 150 first-class wickets for the Central Stags; Bracewell also requires just two wickets to reach 250 first-class career wickets overall
- Ben Wheeler requires 4 wickets to reach 100 first-class career wickets overall and 10 wickets to reach 100 first-class wickets for the Central Stags
- Navin Patel requires six wickets to reach 50 first-class wickets for the Central Stags
- Michael Papps requires 74 runs to reach 12,000 first-class career runs overall
- Luke Woodcock reached 7000 first-class runs exactly for the Firebirds in his previous innings
- Jeetan Patel requires 10 wickets to reach 300 first-class wickets for the Wellington Firebirds
CENTRAL STAGS
Will Young (c), Greg Hay, Mitch Renwick, Jesse Ryder, Brad Schmulian, Dane Cleaver (wk), Doug Bracewell, Ben Wheeler, Blair Tickner, Ajaz Patel, Navin Patel. 12th: Ryan Watson (Taranaki; uncapped)
Squad changes from previous round:
+ + + + Doug Bracewell, Mitch Renwick, Brad Schmulian, Ben Wheeler
– – – – Ross Taylor, Adam Milne, Tom Bruce, George Worker
WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS
Michael Bracewell (c), Michael Papps, Luke Woodcock, Stephen Murdoch, Fraser Colson, Matt Taylor, Lauchie Johns (wk), Jeetan Patel, Ollie Newton, Travis Muller, Iain McPeake. 12th: Peter Younghusband
Squad changes from previous round:
+ + + Lauchie Johns (first-class debut), Travis Muller (Wellington Firebirds debut), Peter Younghusband (late call-up)
– – – Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell, Logan van Beek (late call-up to NZA)
Auckland Aces v Canterbury at Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland
Toss won by: Auckland Aces captain Michael-Guptill-Bunce who elected to bat
Scores
The resurgent Aces named a 13-man squad heading into Round 5, however former New Zealand Under-19s spinner Anikhet Parikh (20) was omitted on the day. Australian import and allrounder Danny Sams rejoins Canterbury after having played two rounds earlier in the season, as Henry Shipley (shin soreness) joins the injury ranks with missing pace bowlers Ed Nuttall, Kyle Jamieson and Nathan McNicol; Nuttall (who has had a back stress fracture) is expected to make his return to cricket next week in a Canterbury A game in Rangiora.
Here we go! #PlunketShield pic.twitter.com/MGI19u6Uis
— Auckland Cricket (@aucklandcricket) November 23, 2017
SELECTED MILESTONES
- Auckland Aces captain Michael Guptill-Bunce requires 28 runs to reach 2000 first-class runs for the Auckland Aces
- Matt McEwan requires three wickets to reach 100 first-class wickets overall
- Canterbury captain Andrew Ellis requires 10 wickets to reach 250 first-class wickets for Canterbury and overall on his first-class career, and reached 5000 first-class runs for Canterbury in his previous match
- Michael Pollard requires one run to reach 2500 career first-class runs
AUCKLAND ACES
Michael Barry, Michael Guptill-Bunce (c), Robbie O’Donnell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Ben Horne (wk), Matt McEwan, Danru Ferns, Ben Lister, Raja Sandhu, Sean Solia. 12th: Craig Cachopa, 13th: Aniket Parikh.
Squad changes from previous round:
+++++ Michael Barry, Craig Cachopa, Aniket Parikh, Raja Sandhu, Sean Solia
– – – – Jeet Raval, Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Colin de Grandhomme
CANTERBURY
Andrew Ellis (c), Chad Bowes, Leo Carter, Michael Davidson, Cam Fletcher, Tim Johnston, Cole McConchie, Michael Pollard, Daniel Sams, Fraser Sheat, Will Williams. 12th: Blake Coburn
Squad changes from previous round:
+ + + + + + Leo Carter, Blake Coburn, Michael Davidson, Michael Pollard, Daniel Sams, Fraser Sheat
– – – – – –Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Todd Astle, Ken McClure, Henry Shipley, Matt Henry
Otago Volts v Northern Districts at Molyneux Park, Alexandra
Toss won by: ND captain Daniel Flynn who elected to bat
Scores
The pressure remains on struggling Northern Districts, the only winless team in the competition and eight points adrift of fifth-placed defending champions Canterbury heading into the midway mark of the 2017/18 Plunket Shield. Worse, they've lost young ND pace bowler Zak Gibson (side strain) and regular opening bowler Scott Kuggeleijn (NZA call-up, and subsequently illness). Advantage: the ultra experienced Volts on their home turf, a rare first-class match for sun-baked Central Otago.
SELECTED MILESTONESBoys gearing up for round 5 of the #PlunketShield #MolyneuxPark 👌🏼 pic.twitter.com/MvcSjKnc0q
— Otago Volts (@OtagoVolts) November 23, 2017
- Allrounder Daryl Mitchell makes his 50th first-class appearance for ND (Mitchell has also previously represented NZA at this level) in his first appearance of the season after returning from a shoulder injury, while Dean Brownlie also returns from injury to reinforce the top order
- Mitchell requires five wickets to reach 50 first-class wickets for ND
- Former Auckland Aces allrounder Shawn Hicks makes his first-class Otago Volts debut
- “Chinaman” bowler Michael Rippon makes his first appearance of the season for the Otago Volts
OTAGO VOLTS
Rob Nicol (c), Brad Wilson, Hamish Rutherford, Derek de Boorder (wk), Shawn Hicks, Anaru Kitchen, Mark Craig, Michael Rippon, Nathan Smith, Michael Rae, Jacob Duffy. 12th: Matt Bacon
Squad changes from previous round:
+ + + Shawn Hicks, Michael Rippon, Nathan Smith
– – – Neil Broom, Jimmy Neesham, Neil Wagner
NORTHERN DISTRICTS
Daniel Flynn (c), Bharat Popli, Dean Brownlie, Anton Devcich, Daryl Mitchell, BJ Watling, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Brett Randell, Jimmy Baker, Brent Arnel.12th: Brett Hampton
Squad changes from previous round:
+ + + + + Dean Brownlie, Daryl Mitchell, Brent Arnel, Brett Hampton, Brett Randell
– – – – Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Mitch Santner, Scott Kuggeleijn
Match Officials
Points after Round Four:
Wellington Firebirds 76 (unbeaten)
Central Stags 63 (unbeaten)
Auckland Aces 43
Otago Volts 33
Canterbury (defending champion) 29
Northern Districts 21
• Official hashtag: #plunketshield
