It’s been a heck of a week for Devon Hotel Central Stags seamer Seth Rance.
First “Mr Reliable” of the Stags’ attack helped the team to their first ever successful Ford Trophy title defence, finishing as both the competition’s leading wicket-taker and the most economical bowler from any of the six teams.
Now the softly spoken fireman, builder and family man from Greytown, Wairarapa finds himself a first-time draftee on the player auction list of the IPL 2016.
Flying under the radar and being labelled “under-rated” may finally become a thing of the past for the 28-year-old craftsman seamer who has drawn attention to himself by impressing over the past two seasons of Georgie Pie Super Smash and The Ford Trophy with ability to reign in the damage.
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Despite a solid start early in his career, Rance only returned to the Stags in 2014, after four years away from domestic cricket. His maturity has paid dividends not just in cold, hard stats — 19 wickets in this year’s Ford Trophy with an economy rate of just 4.13; 12 Georgie Pie Super Smash wickets at 7.45 this season), but in his ability to offer guidance and a calming presence to the rest of the Stags’ pace attack, which has included sharp talent in the form of Doug Bracewell, Adam Milne, Ben Wheeler, the presently injured Andrew Mathieson; all of whom have represented the BLACKCAPS; and Bevan Small, who stumped up with three big wickets in last weekend’s Grand Final.
Rance joins Tim Southee, Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Grant Elliott, Jimmy Neesham, Doug Bracewell, Nathan McCullum, George Worker and Anton Devcich as the New Zealanders up for auction for the 2016 edition of India’s all-star T20 competition. They are listed among the 121 overseas players and 230 local Indian players set to go under the hammer on 6 February in Bengaluru.
Anton Devcich powering up for the Knights
Brendon McCullum (Rajkot), Corey Anderson and Mitch McClenaghan (Mumbai), Trent Boult and Kane Williamson (Hyderabad), and Adam Milne (Bangalore) are already contracted.
Eleven New Zealanders have also been listed in the 2016 Caribbean Premier League's player draft — among them one of the Stags’ batting heros of the Ford Trophy Grand Final, Tom Bruce.
The sensational striker from Taranaki hit the fastest 50 in New Zealand domestic List A history in the Final, off just 16 balls, in a brutal finish to the Stags’ innings.
Bruce joins teammates Doug Bracewell, Ben Wheeler and George Worker on the CPL auction list, along with Devcich and Ish Sodhi (SKYCITY Northern Knights), Tarun Nethula and Colin Munro (Mondiale Auckland Aces), Canterbury’s Ronnie Hira, SBS Bank Otago Volt Nathan McCullum and Wellington Firebird Grant Elliott.
