[ login or create an account ]
|
The Taranaki tornado was back to his best as the Central Stags opened their Burger King Super Smash in brazen style with a stunning five-wicket T20 win over defending champions the Knights in Mount Maunganui.
Scorecard | Highlights
Now it’s home to Taradise and Pukekura Park for new captain Tom Bruce - fresh off his match-winning, career best unbeaten 88 of just 52 balls - as the Central Stags ready for another two huge encounters, against a star-studded Auckland Aces team tomorrow (29 December), followed by the consistent and dangerous Wellington Firebirds on New Year’s Eve.
Both matches are doubleheaders with the Central Hinds kicking off the entertainment at 12.45pm against the strong Auckland Hearts tomorrow, followed by the Stags centre stage at 4pm. The weather is coming to the party, gates open at 11.45am, and CDCA urges spectators to prepurchase their tickets via Ticketek and get through the gate in plenty of time to avoid missing any of the action - a large crowd expected for both days at the beloved park.
Operating at a strike rate of 162.93, Bruce’s dashing knock against a demanding Knights spin attack - that included BLACKCAPS Ish Sodhi and Mitch Santner putting on a slow bowling clinic through the middle overs - was the highlight as the Stags conducted a successful raid at Bay Oval for the second year on the bounce, and in a rematch between the Grand Finalists of last summer. Bruce smashed six fours and five sixes in his career best knock, in his first match at T20 captain. His unbeaten 88 eclipsed his previous T20 best of 82-, against the Otago Volts at Pukekura Park in 2015/16.
Twenty-year-old off-spinner Felix Murray, of Nelson, meanwhile made a successful T20 debut for the Stags at Bay Oval, bowling fellow spinner Santner for a two-ball duck to claim his maiden wicket.
Taranaki’s Bruce and Will Young have both been named in the squad to play a potent line-up set to feature Martin Guptill, Glenn Phillips and Colin Munro at the top of the Auckland Aces order, as well as BLACKCAPS quick Lockie Ferguson and dangerman Mark Chapman.
"We’re expecting a big contest obviously so having a lot of home support around us will be ideal," says Bruce. "It was good to start with a win, but it certainly wasn’t a polished one and we’ll be looking to lift our game tomorrow, especially in the field."
Tomorrow’s match is also set to be the 50th T20 Central Stags cap for Seth Rance whose experience, venom and swing in the shortest format will be crucial to containing the Aces at the top.
For the Central Hinds, Taranaki local Taila Hurley has been added to an otherwise unchanged squad, taking the squad to 13 as Anlo van Deventer’s young side looks to home advantage at a ground tailor-made for the women’s game, still seeking a first win in the competition.
Gates will open at 11.45am on both the 29 and 31 December and tickets get supporters into both the Hinds’ and Stags’ game on the respective days. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Ticketek or at the gate with every ticket bought online winning an instant prize as well as going into a draw for weekly prizes - and a Grand Prize draw for a $4000 trip to the Burger King Super Smash Grand Final.
BURGER KING SUPER SMASH
Saturday 29 December 2018
Pukekura Park | New Plymouth
12.45pm - Central Hinds v Auckland Hearts
4pm - Central Stags v Auckland Acews
CENTRAL HINDS Dec 29 Squad of 13 - one addition
Anlo van Deventer (c) - Wairarapa
Georgia Atkinson -Wairarapa
Kate Baxter - Taranaki
Emily Cunningham - Taranaki
Natalie Dodd - (w) - Taranaki
Claudia Green - Nelson
Mikaela Greig - Manawatū
Taila Hurley - Taranaki
Esther Lanser - Wairarapa
Rosemary Mair - Hawke’s Bay
Hannah Rowe - (v-c) Manawatū
Kerry Tomlinson - Wairarapa
Jess Watkin -- Wanganui
Head Coach - Jamie Watkins
CENTRAL STAGS Dec 29 Squad of 13 - unchanged
Tom Bruce (c) - Taranaki
Doug Bracewell - Hawke’s Bay
Josh Clarkson - Nelson
Dane Cleaver (w) - Manawatū
Christian Leopard - Hawke’s Bay
Willem Ludick - potential T20 debut - Nelson
Felix Murray - potential T20 debut - Nelson
Kieran Noema-Barnett - Hawke’s Bay
Seth Rance - Wairarapa
Blair Tickner - Hawke’s Bay
Ben Wheeler - Marlborough
George Worker - Manawatū
Will Young - Taranaki
Head Coach - Heinrich Malan
Livescoring: visit nzc.nz
Twitter updates: @CentralStags and @CDCricket
Instagram updates: @CentralHinds and @CentralStags
Official hashtags: #BKSuperSmash #CentralHinds #LoveTheStags
All articles and comments on Voxy.co.nz have been submitted by our community of users. Please notify us through our contact form if you believe an item on this site breaches our community guidelines.