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Auckland were rocked by off-season announcements of both Ben Horne and Will Somerville’s retirements.
Right-arm offspinner Somerville has had a rich career in cricket across the Tasman Sea. Born in Wadestown, Wellington, he moved to Australia when he was 9. He returned to Aotearoa for studies, playing 3 matches for Otago in March 2005 during this time. He also broke into the Volts side for fixture versus Canterbury and Northern Districts the year later. Somerville was noticed by New Zealand selectors, appearing in several matches for the New Zealand Academy.
He returned to Australia, making the XI for New South Wales for the 2013–14 season. He was also picked up by Big Bash side Sydney Sixers, which marked his T20 debut. He continued to play for NSW up until 2018, where Auckland had offered him a contract. Returning to New Zealand, selectors were immediately all over his case. They’d added him to the test squad for their series versus Pakistan in November 2018, a match where he took 4–75 and 3–52. Somerville was to feature in 5 more tests, his last versus India in 2021.
Somerville picked up 161 wickets for Auckland across all 3 formats, his best of 4–42 coming against Wellington.
Ben Horne has been the mainstay Aces keeper for well over 7 years, first debuting for the Eden Park based outfit in the Super Smash versus Canterbury. Horne represented his country at U19 level from 2011–12. In a career that scored over 3000 during it’s stint, Horne saw his best season as a keeper in the longer format last year, with 7 stumpings and 18 catches from 12 innings. The Auckland keeper also notched up 137 off 202 deliveries versus Otago at Molyneux Park. His presence both in the middle order and behind the stumps will be a massive loss to the Aces.
So who’s to replace them?
Insert Cam Fletcher, a right-handed wicketkeeper and Adi Ashok, a developing leg spinner with an impressive googly delivery, no newbie to the Auckland side after making his debut back in 2021.
Fletcher has had an impressive domestic record, gathering 1780 runs in T20s since 2014 striking at an impressive 131.75. The Auckland born keeper has also amassed 3372 runs @ 34.76 in FC, with a best of 157 against Otago, and 1178 runs @ 28.73 in List A. He has been in and around the skirts of the New Zealand national team, featuring for the A teams and winter training camps.
Recently, Fletcher has joined Wales-based side Glamorgan in the Vitality Blast. His big break came in their fixture versus Sussex, scoring 57 off 40 with 4 sixes and just 1 four.
“I’m absolutely thrilled for the opportunity to represent Auckland for the first time since I was 19. The feeling of being back where I grew up and closer to family is extremely special and excites me as this new chapter begins.
Fletcher came up through the ranks in the Auckland age groups, before making the move to Canterbury ahead of the 2014–15 season.
“I’m fizzed to start training with the boys in blue and get amongst the culture. The Auckland boys bring big energy and flair to the game, and that’s something I’m buzzing to be a part of.
Daniel Archer, Auckland Cricket’s Director of Performance and Talent, says Fletcher will bring a high level of professionalism and experience to the ACES environment.
“An experienced leader who has recently been a member of both the BLACKCAP and NZ A touring squads, Cam returns home to Auckland ready to grow his game further and contribute to the growth of the ACES on and off the field.
Adi Ashok is likely to fill the senior spinner role left by Will Somerville’s retirement. Debuting for the Aces in 2021 at just 16, it’s clear that the Eden Park outfit see Ashok as the future. To date, he has 62 wickets across all 3 formats.
Ashok has been key in the Auckland side, proving most effective in the Super Smash. However, his debut in the Plunket Shield in 2022–23 saw him take a 5 wicket-haul versus the Central Stags. He was to take another 5 versus Wellington, conceding only 94 runs in that stint.
He’ll be one to look out for this season, expectedly taking up the frontline spinner role with left-arm spinner Louis Delport also available for the Aces.
One new addition to the contracts is Harjot Johal. Hailing from Eden Roskill CC, Johal wont seem a familiar name to many, only breaking into the Auckland A side last year. The right-arm quick picked up 6 wickets from just 3 games in the National Provincial A Tournament with a rich average of 18.50.
Johal picked up 4 wickets for 33 runs versus Northern Districts A, dismissing senior team players Brett Hampton and Anurag Verma. He also played a big role in changing the trajectory of the game, leaving ND 35–5 to 45–7 in the space of 4 overs.
Archer also had high praise for the young quick.
“Harjot is an emerging seam bowler from Eden Roskill Cricket Club who has impressed in recent times around both the Auckland A and ACES environments
“A fantastic story of persistence and attitude, Harjot missed out on representing the Auckland Under 19s at the NZC National Tournament in his development years.
“However, his continued hard work in both his club environment and the wider Auckland programs has now deservingly presented the opportunity for his first domestic contract.”
The Aces look in a similar shape to what they were last season.
Two emerging players in the set up, Quinn Sunde and Simon Keene, were impressive in their respective departments. Keene had a stellar start to his Plunket Shield campaign, as did Sunde scoring 52* off 48 with 6 fours and 39* off 84 in his only two games of the season. Keene first made debut in the Shield in 2022, claiming 2 wickets from 8 overs in his first innings, with 5 off 8.1 in the second.
Keene picked up 2 6-fors in the season, one versus Canterbury (6–44) and Wellington (6–51). He averaged just 14.28 in just 11 games.
Skipper Robbie O’Donnell has been a consistent source of runs for Auckland over the years, it will be no surprise to see him flourish from the front this year.
Sean Solia is an interesting figure in the side. Over the years he’s played in almost every position in the order. From opener to middle order, and even tailender in some instances. A left-hand bat bowling right-arm fast medium, infamous for his wide stride, Solia had his best FC season to date. With 538 runs from 18 innings, 2 fifties and a best of 151 off a slow and steady 374 balls with 17 fours and 1 six. From a batting perspective, Solia will be key in the FC top order.
The Samoa international was key from a bowling perspective in the Super Smash, claiming 10 scalps — his personal best in a T20 season — with an economy of 8.44, also his best rate in a Super Smash season.
Ben Lister is another key bowler in the attack. The left-arm quick swing bowler was recently called up to the New Zealand T20i and ODI teams, taking 8 wickets in both formats in as many games.
For Auckland, Lister matched his best T20 season wickets wise. Picking up 13 with a best of 3–31 versus Canterbury and an average of 18.15, Lister’s shorter form performance was on the rise last season. With moderate returns in the Ford Trophy and Plunket Shield, Lister may be replace with up-and-coming left armer Matt Gibson, given the latter’s outing in the Ford Trophy.
The team looks as though the Plunket Shield would be their forte, with a similar season to their 2021–22 run. With key players stepping up in the Super Smash last season, mainly the bowlers, it would be key for Auckland to capitalise off those performances.
Auckland Aces 2023/24 contract list:
Adithya Ashok, Cole Briggs, Louis Delport, Danru Ferns, Cam Fletcher, Matt Gibson, Ryan Harrison, Harjot Johal, Simon Keene, Ben Lister, Robbie O’Donnell, Will O’Donnell, Sean Solia, Quinn Sunde, George Worker. (16th contract TBA)
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