Allen's Century Highlights Ford Trophy Action in Round Four

CENTRAL STAGS VERSUS OTAGO VOLTS - PUKEKURA PARK, NEW PLYMOUTH

RESULT: CENTRAL STAGS WIN BY 82 RUNS

The Stags got off to a solid start with the bat as they added 49 runs for the first before Jack Boyle was bowled by Luke Georgeson for 26.

Captain Dane Cleaver joined Brad Schmulian in the middle but he couldn’t last long as he fell LBW to Travis Muller for two. Curtis Heaphy was only able to add one before Muller had his wicket as well.

Recently selected in the Blackcaps side, Josh Clarkson would’ve wanted to prove a point at his selection and played well alongside Schmulian.

Clarkson went for 28 in the 29th over and then Schmulian was soon joining him back in the shed as the Stags fell to 116/5.

Bayley Wiggins and Will Clark got the Stags back on track with a vital partnership of 53 runs from 11.3 overs. The 50 partnership between them was made in 63 with Wiggins being the more aggressive as he made a run-a-ball 35.

Will Clark plays a shot to get to 50. Photo Credit: NZC

Wiggins was soon out two balls later for 35 whilst Bevan Small could only 3 and Jayden Lennox nothing. Ben Lockrose picked up all three players.

Blair Tickner and Clark did a good job with the bat as they built a 50-run partnership for the ninth wicket, a Central Stags record against the Otago Volts.

Tickner was dismissed with three balls left in the innings and Clark and Ray Toole added 9 runs in the last three balls to see the side through to 236/9.

Otago didn’t get off to the best of starts losing three wickets in the powerplay with Georgeson (9), Hamish Rutherford (2), and Dale Phillips (5) all departing.

Dean Foxcroft and Thorn Parkes tried to get the innings in the right direction but the wickets kept falling for Otago with Foxcroft the next to go for 15 and Llew Johnson only adding three runs.

When Parkes fell for 26, Otago found themselves in a position of 84/6 inside the first 24 overs.

Lockrose and wicket-keeper Max Chu then built a quality partnership together of 43 runs and just when it looked like Otago might’ve had a shot at a comeback Lockrose departed for 25.

Chu alongside Muller, Duffy, and Bacon could add little at the end as Otago were all out for 154.

All the Stags bowlers got wickets with Clarkson getting three. Toole and Tickner got two each.

Central Stags XI: Brad Schmulian, Jack Boyle, Dane Cleaver (©, WK), Curtis Heaphy, Josh Clarkson, Will Clark, Bayley Wiggins, Bevan Small, Jayden Lennox, Blair Tickner, Ray Toole, Liam Dudding (12th)

Otago Volts XI: Hamish Rutherford, Luke Georgeson, Dean Foxcroft ©, Dale Phillips, Thorn Parkes, Llew Johnson, Max Chu (WK), Ben Lockrose, Travis Muller, Jacob Duffy, Matt Bacon, Ollie White (12th)

NORTHERN DISTRICTS VERSUS AUCKLAND ACES - COBHAM OVAL, WHANGĀREI

RESULT: AUCKLAND ACES WIN BY 54 RUNS

Auckland had an excellent opening partnership between Finn Allen and George Worker. The Northern Districts bowlers had no real answer to them for the first 30 overs with Allen getting a third List A century and his second this season.

Former Blackcap, Worker played a pivotal role in the 196-run stand, Allen contributing 120 of those runs.

After over two hours waiting to come and bat, Will O’Donnell could only last 3 balls, Scott Kuggeleijn grabbing the wicket.

Finn Allen's 120 was vital for Auckland in their victory. Photo Credit: James McCully/Auckland Cricket

Worker was the next man to go, having made his 36th List A century.

The score now at 209/3. Northern were able to keep getting wickets as Robbie O’Donnell (11) and Sean Solia (4) both were dismissed as well.

Cam Fletcher and Ryan Harrison then added an unbeaten partnership of 83* from the final 10.5 overs. Fletcher finished on 52* from 41 and Harrison got 33* from 32.

Northern got off to a fast start in pursuit of 307 with Katene Clarke and Tim Seifert making 59 runs in the first 8.5 overs before Clarke fell for 31 from 28. Seifert then was out a couple of overs later for 26.

Henry Cooper and Joe Carter stabilised Northern’s innings with 35 runs added in the following 7 overs to get their side past the 100-run mark.

Wickets did keep falling for the Northern side with them falling at the score of 125, 146, 180, and 185.

Ben Lister, Danru Ferns, Solia, and Harrison were the players with the wickets.

Brett Hampton was left with doing a lot of work with the lower order to try and get the remaining 122 runs in just 11.2 overs.

However, when he was dismissed for 67 from 54 and still 76 runs required it proved to be too much for Tim Pringle, Joe Walker and Matt Fisher as they were all out for 254 in 46.1 overs.

Northern Districts: Tim Seifert (WK), Katene Clarke, Henry Cooper, Joe Carter, Jeet Raval ©, Brett Hampton, Scott Kuggeleijn, Kris Clarke, Tim Pringle, Joe Walker, Matt Fisher, Josh Brown (12th)

Auckland: Finn Allen, George Worker, Will O’Donnell, Robbie O’Donnell, Sean Solia ©, Cam Fletcher (WK), Ryan Harrison, Adi Ashok, Danru Ferns, Louis Delport, Ben Lister, Jock McKenzie (12th)

WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS VERSUS CANTERBURY - BASIN RESERVE, WELLINGTON

RESULT: WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS WIN BY 55 RUNS

Wellington’s openers added 40 runs with the bat for the first wicket before Tim Robinson was trapped LBW by Angus McKenzie.

Troy Johnson and Nick Greenwood added a solid partnership through the middle stages with 79 runs in the 18 overs following the powerplay. Whilst the Wellington batters were going at a slowish rate they did get important early runs for the middle order to build on.

When Johnson was out for 30 and Greenwood for 64, Canterbury would’ve felt they were on top due to the dismissals falling in the same over.

Nick Greenwood plays a shot in his innings of 64. Photo Credit: NZC

Nick Kelly only added six runs to the total before O’Rourke picked up his third wicket of the day.

Muhammad Abbas and Callum McLachlan added a further 47 runs for the fifth wicket, but once again Canterbury were able to pick up the wickets of the set batters for 22 and 26, Michael Rae grabbing both of them.

Logan van Beek and Adam Milne added 26 and 24 runs at the lower order to get their side to a total of 247/8 from their fifty overs.

Wellington picked up the early wicket of Matt Boyle in the seventh over with van Beek making the breakthrough.

Rhys Mariu who was back from injury joined Bowes in the middle. Bowes was the main attacker throughout the partnership with Mariu only adding eight runs in the 35-run partnership.

When Bowes was dismissed at the score of 76/3 for a score of 47 from 55, this led to the collapse of the Canterbury side.

Cole McConchie was out for 15, Mitch Hay out for 18, and Zak Foulkes for four leading to Canterbury now at 115/6.

Michael Rippon and Bevon Jacobs were able to get Canterbury to 145/7 when Rippon went for 12 and then 165/8 when Jacobs was out for 31 from 36.

The fall of the Canterbury batters was supported by the bowlers Nathan Smith, Milne, and Peter Younghusband.

The remaining Canterbury batters added 27 runs to see them all out for 192 in 44 overs.

Smith and Milne took three wickets each while Bowes top-scored with 47.

Wellington XI: Nick Greenwood, Tim Robinson, Troy Johnson, Nick Kelly ©, Muhammad Abbas, Callum McLachlan (WK) Nathan Smith, Logan van Beek, Adam Milne, Peter Younghusband, Ben Sears, Ollie Newton (12th)

Canterbury XI: Chad Bowes, Matt Boyle, Rhys Mariu, Mitch Hay (WK), Cole McConchie ©, Michael Rippon, Zak Foulkes, Bevon Jacobs, Angus McKenzie, Michael Rae, Will O’Rourke, Fraser Sheat (12th)