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The Central Stags have powered themselves to victory over the Auckland Aces with superb batting performances by multiple players followed by a good effort with the ball.
Teams:
Central Districts: Jack Boyle, Greg Hay (C), Brad Schmulian, Tom Bruce, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver (WK), Doug Bracewell, Brett Randell, Ajaz Patel, Blair Tickner, Ray Toole, Curtis Heaphy (12th Man)
Auckland: Will O'Donnell, Sean Solia, Quinn Sunde, Robbie O'Donnell, George Worker, Cam Fletcher, Finn Allen, Simon Keene, Adi Ashok, Danru Ferns, Ben Lister, Ryan Harrison (12th Man)
Winning the toss was about the only thing that Auckland would be happy about from the game.
After being sent into bat the Stags got off to a good start with Jack Boyle and Greg Hay seeing through the first session. Boyle was the first wicket to fall for 36 from 93 balls giving Danru Ferns his opening wicket of the summer and Cam Fletcher a first catch for his new side.
Brad Schmulian and Hay have batted together multiple times for CD over the last few seasons and do tend to work well together. Schmulian made his 15th FC 50 from 82 balls, whilst Hay was a little bit slower taking 127 balls for his 50.
The Auckland bowlers kept trying to break the partnership with seven bowlers used and little success.
At the tea break, the Stags were sitting on 181/1, Hay on 87 and Schmulian on 55.
Robbie O’Donnell was able to finally break through taking a sharp catch off his own bowling to remove Schmulian for 86 from 137 balls. The Stags now 2 down for 225 runs.
Greg Hay made his 17th FC century in the 80th over, taking 236 balls to get to the milestone.
At the end of the first day’s play the Stags sat on 276/2 from 96 overs with Hay on 115 and Bruce on 31.
Going into the second day Auckland needed early wickets and the breakthrough was made by Ben Lister, who had Hay edging behind to Fletcher for 115 (284).
Josh Clarkson came to the middle and decided that he was going to need to start attacking to not only get the Stags to a good total but also so they could get the full amount of first innings batting points.
The Stags did end up falling short in the making of 350 runs within the first 110 overs but were still able to collect 3 batting points compared to Auckland’s singular bowling point.
Bruce made his 33rd FC half-century from 98 balls, whilst it only took Josh Clarkson 64.
Dane Cleaver went about the attacking game after Adi Ashok had removed both Bruce and Clarkson. Cleaver ended up making 63 from 69 as the Stags declared on 509/8 in 141.5 overs.
Will O’Donnell and Sean Solia opened the batting for the Aucklanders, but O’Donnell only lasted 39 balls before he was bowled by Blackcap Blair Tickner. Quinn Sunde only lasted 9 balls, whilst Robbie O’Donnell only lasted 16 balls. Tickner had taken all the wickets in the innings thus far.
Doug Bracewell took his 400th FC wicket, with Worker falling for 6. This meant Bracewell joined the club with 400 FC wickets and 4000 FC runs. Sitting at 79/4, the Aucklanders were going to need some lower-order resistance if they were to put up a competitive total.
Fletcher and Solia kept the Auckland side in the game before Fletcher departed for 16 from 51 and the Aces reeling at 116/5. Solia kept pushing on and was looking like he was on his way to a hundred, but Ray Toole had other ideas as he cleaned up Solia 19 short of his century.
The explosive Finn Allen showed what he can do as he worked well with Simon Keen, the pair putting on a 65-run partnership. Adi Ashok only lasted 15 balls before he was trapped LBW by Ajaz Patel.
Finn Allen couldn’t get Auckland under the follow-on margin as Boyle caught him, Allen clearly was upset with the shot that led to his dismissal.
Leading by 245 runs the Stags were looking to try and wrap up Auckland’s innings before the end of Day 3.
Once again however the Auckland top order faulted as Will O’Donnell gave Bracewell the first wicket of the Aces innings.
Solia couldn’t quite replicate his first innings work, as he could only make 16 and gave Tickner his fourth wicket of the match.
Toole dismissed Sunde for 10 and Robbie O’Donnell was bowled by Brett Randell for 2. Sitting at 46/4, Cam Fletcher and George Worker were going to need to put in a middle-order fightback to even give the Stags a sniff at having to bat again.
Just when it looked like both Fletcher and Worker were going to force this possibility, Fletcher was caught behind by Ray Toole’s bowling for 26.
Allen only lasted seven balls this time making four runs. Simon Keene and Adi Ashok were dismissed without really threatening the total, the Aces sitting at 135/8.
George Worker and Danru Ferns tried some firepower but ultimately Worker was dismissed and ended the Auckland innings on 168 all out.
Some notable performances were Greg Hay’s century, Schmulian’s, Bruce’s, Clarkson’s and Cleaver’s fifties.
Ashok’s bowling for Auckland was the pick of it, taking four wickets, whilst the majority of the Stags bowlers took wickets. Tickner took three in Ace's first innings and Toole took four in the second innings.
Result: Central Stags win by an innings and 77 runs.
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