Who's getting across the line? Images: PHOTOSPORT

The Ford Trophy 80% Loaded

Posted Friday, 26 February, 2021 in Domestic News


At the midpoint of the men’s one-day championship late last year, teams were all seeing one colour: red. Canterbury were frontrunners in the Plunket Shield, The Ford Trophy and in the women’s one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield. Then they went on to win the women's Dream11 Super Smash, and finished runners-up in the men's T20 final too.

Fast forward to this, the business end of The Ford Trophy over the next three days and so far, so same-same.

Northern Districts temporarily usurped the lead and are still equal on points at the top, but after both sides split their results in their last two away games, it's neck and neck for the all important top spot that nets a home Grand Final and direct entry, let alone the top three qualification spots.

Ner run rate could be key as they aren't the only contenders for finishing as the top qualifier: defending champs the Aces (the big movers from last weekend), the can't-stop-winning-thigs Firebirds and never to be underestimated Otago Volts can all overtake them over the next three days. The Central Stags, having played themselves out of contention despite a strong squad, must feel like the unpopular kid who didn't get invited to the party right now.

#1 BURNING QUESTION

...this Friday is: will Cole Briggs maintain his perfect 100.00 batting average? After his first two games of List A cricket back-to-back against the Stags in Auckland last week, the newest and latest NZ Domestic cricket sensation scored 101 on debut and then 99.

This was enough to immediately propel the hitherto unknown 23-year-old into the top 17 run-makers for the season, and his average is top of the charts. Canterbury's Cam Fletcher is next best with a paltry 78.00, Henry Nicholls with 76.00 and Ken McClure 70.50 after his fantastic start to the season late last year - still the only batsman to have posted two Ford Trophy hundreds this summer (soz Cole, we know it hurts).

The three Cantabrian run machines are joined by Ace Will O'Donnell who has been in outrageous touch with six scores over 50, including a ton, from his eight innings; and senior Firebird Michael Bracewell in the averages-over-50 department. Ace Sean Solia (49.66, after his third career Ford Trophy hundred last Friday amid a record double century stand) is just a fraction behind them.

Canterbury and the Aces are playing each other back-to-back at Rangiora's sunburnt Mainpower Oval which is good because it will even things up with a Cole on each side.

WHERE ARE ALL THE WICKETS?

The leading wicket-taker in The Ford Trophy was carrying the drinks in the last round and ND still came out of it with a (much wanted) win at the Basin.

Brett Randell's five-wicket-bag earlier this season has helped him stay top of the wicket tally with 15 at 20.93, but it's a marginal lead with Michael Rae and Will Williams both on 14 and Matt Henry and Sean Davey on 13. Again, an over-representation of Cantabrians, and Wellington Firebird Peter Younghusband meanwhile the top spinner with 12 at 21.25 which is a bit of a turn-up (see what we did there) too.

One to watch: Louis Delport. The blond 33-year-old Auckland Aces offie has been flying under the radar for a while but just took consecutive near-PB hauls of 3-50 and 3-45 against the Stags, and got both Will Young and Ross Taylor out both times, as well as none too shabby George Worker and Josh Clarkson.

His 11 wickets from seven games places him in the top 10 and this is a timely reminder bowlers everywhere need to do a whole lot more wicket-taking to inject some space into the congested points table, and maybe it's your turn (see what we did there again), spinners, in this long dry hot flat back rainless end of a summer.

MBUTCHER

WEIRD STATS DEPARTMENT

Ross Taylor doesn't normally play at lot for the Stags, but over the last three seasons it's coincided with their games in all formats at Eden Park Outer Oval. Taylor has every reason not to like this happenstance. This ground has it in for him. When he saw he was due to play his 300th List A match at Eden Park Outer Oval, his expression would have been priceless.

On Sunday, after two consecutive ducks on the ground in the previous 10 days (one in the Dream11 Super Smash Elimination Final that had seen the Stags and Kings having to play here; then in the seventh round of The Ford Trophy), he left nothing to chance and changed all his superstitions - even waiting to bat in a different spot. He belted two boundaries in his first nine balls and then Outer Oval, sorry Delport, got him out again on nine.

We don't want to rub it in because the guy's a legend and we're still happy watching replays of his thunderous bomb show at McLean Park just a few weeks ago, but the Outer Oval record is an oddity. In the Plunket Shield: 27 & 21 there earlier this season, 2 & 18 last season; and a pair of 21s in 2012/13 and a random 42 then a duck and two other scores of not much in the two previous matches long ago, if you care to look it up.

Run out for 2 here in the Super Smash regular season. A 3, 0 and (his List A Outer Oval high score) 12 in his first one-day games here in the mid-2000s. Ross will be over the moon about playing at Seddon Park this Friday and Sunday.

Not his favourite ground | MBUTCHER

HOWDY, PARTNERSHIP

Meanwhile when outrageous debutant Briggs and Solia scored centuries together at Outer Oval, it was the second double century stand of The Ford Trophy this season - and the biggest, weighing in at an Auckland record 226 for the first wicket. The other was by Canterbury's Chad Bowes and Ken McClure for the second wicket in Christchurch in December.

Briggs was not the first to score a Ford Trophy century on debut at Outer Oval, and the guy he was batting with at the time was one of his notable predecessors. Sean Solia's debut ton here is still his career best after 41 games: 152 off 127 balls, batting at three that day. Last week he reached 121 off 119, batting into the 42nd over from the outset.

Quirky stat: only George Worker has hit more runs than Solia from fours and sixes this season (some kudos to Worker given his first two matches were short, reduced over affairs).

LAST CHANCE SALOON: ROUNDS NINE & TEN

Taking place today (Friday 26 February 2021) and Sunday 28 February at Seddon Park, Hamilton (ND v Stags), Mainpower Oval, Rangiora (Canterbury v Aces) and the Basin Reserve, Wellington (Firebirds v Volts) - all matches livestreamed and livescored here at nzc.nz

If the Aces and Firebirds both win today, and ND lose, we will have four teams all on 22 points at the head of the table!

The Otago Volts meanwhile must win today to stay in the race for a top three qualifying spot: if the Firebirds beat them, it's all over.

SQUADS

* The Firebirds have had a late change to their squad for today, quick Ben Sears replaced by Michael Snedden.

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