Cricket: Bruce bolsters Stags ahead of final

CD Cricket

The Central Stags have made one change to their Ford Trophy squad that thrashed the Wellington Firebirds by a near-record 211 runs in yesterday's Elimination Final.

Tom Bruce has sped back from representing Scotland at the ICC T20 World Cup in India to suit up for tomorrow's Grand Final against Canterbury, replacing uncapped 21-year-old Sam Cassidy in the 13 at the Cello Basin Reserve.

The former Central Stags captain was at the helm when the Stags last won The Ford Trophy, in March 2023 — a six-wicket win over Canterbury in Napier in which Bruce scored an unbeaten 51 not out alongside Josh Clarkson's unbeaten century (111* off 78 balls) in a textbook chase.

Bruce adds his batting power and 76 matches of Ford Trophy experience to current skipper Jayden Lennox’s line-up.

Strike bowler Brett Randell will meanwhile head into tomorrow's big game sitting on 99 List A one-day wickets (all teams),  hungry for his 100th victim after his 3/30 helped wrap up yesterday’s Elimination Final in the one-sided victory against the Firebirds.

Randell also took his 50th one-day wicket for the Stags in the process and says the team took a big win off a tough side to get into tomorrow’s trophy decider in Wellington.

“To put in a performance like that yesterday in an Elimination Final was seriously thrilling,” said Randell.

“The boys were on with the bat, with the ball, and in the field with a couple of runouts as well, so now we can carry that confidence into Sunday and hopefully it doesn't change."

Canterbury and the Stags were the top two teams on the ladder after the regular season and the Stags defeated Canterbury by 22 runs on Tuesday in Nelson, in the last match before the Finals matches.

Yesterday’s 211-run victory over the Wellington Firebirds saw Central step up a gear, however, Will Young leading the way with his sixth Ford Trophy century after the team had been sent in.

The Stags lost two early wickets — big losses, openers Brad Schmulian and Curtis Heaphy having scored crucial tons themselves in this summer's campaign. 

But the rest of Central's order stepped up to the plate to recover from 22/2 to reach 349/5 in the 50-over first innings.

Dean Foxcroft (89) again looked on for a century himself in a key 165-run, run-a-ball century stand for the third wicket with Young.

But after his dismissal, the Firebirds were subjected to more carnage as dynamic Dane Cleaver clouted 75 off just 40 balls, and the country's leading allrounder Josh Clarkson muscled his way to an unbeaten 47* off just 19 deliveries, the sixes flying regularly.

Blair Tickner remains unavailable for the business end of the campaign with an ankle niggle.

Entry to tomorrow’s Grand Final at the Cello Basin Reserve is free admission, with livescoring and a free, multi-camera stream with commentators including Central Stag Ajaz Patel available at www.cdcricket.co.nz from 10.30am.