Cricket: New faces and familiar names in cricket squad

Taranaki Cricket has named its 22-player Whitaker Civil Engineering men’s squad for the 2026/27 Furlong Cup and Hawke Cup campaign, with the team aiming to win back the coveted Hawke Cup after relinquishing the title last season.

The squad features the return of bowlers Shay Smith and Jarrod Ritson, while batter Sebastian Lauderdale-Smith adds further depth to the batting order as Taranaki looks to rebuild following several key departures.

Centurion Mattie Thomas and fast bowler Ryan Watson retired last season, wicketkeeper-batter Rupert Young has moved away from the province, and top middle-order batter Trent McGrath has stepped down from the team.

Marist batter Chester Oldfield is among the new faces, earning his maiden call-up to the Hawke Cup squad after a strong period of development and performances.

Four Development Players have also been included in the wider senior environment, with New Plymouth Boys’ High School youngsters Cohen Riddick and Charlie Broadmore joined by Woodleigh batter Jamie Ingram and Stratford wicketkeeper-batter Stirling Monk.

The programme gives emerging players the opportunity to train alongside the senior squad, learn from experienced teammates and put themselves in contention for selection throughout the season.

That pathway is already delivering results, with Lucas Vassiliou and Asher Ryan earning places in this season’s squad after progressing through the Development Player programme in 2024/25 and 2025/26 respectively.

Black Cap Will Young and Central Districts Stag Tom Bruce have also been named, bringing valuable experience to the group. However, their availability is expected to be limited, with Young likely to be unavailable for much of the campaign because of his Black Caps duties, while Bruce’s summer commitments with Central Districts are also expected to restrict his opportunities for Taranaki.

Taranaki Hawke Cup squad

The 22-player squad is:

Jordan Gard (captain), Ben Frewin, Bailey Wisnewski, Chester Oldfield, Davis Mills, Jacob Leuthard-Richards, Sebastian Lauderdale-Smith, Josh Borrell, Liam Carr, Liam Muggeridge, Lucas Vassiliou, Josh Gard, Jack Parker, Jarrod Ritson, Asher Ryan, Shay Smith, Stirling Monk, Charlie Broadmore, Cohen Riddick, Jamie Ingram, Tom Bruce and Will Young.

Monk, Broadmore, Riddick, Ingram, Leuthard-Richards and Lauderdale-Smith are marked as Development Players in the squad announcement.

Fixture schedule

Taranaki’s campaign begins in December, with the bulk of its matches scheduled for the new year. The team will play away fixtures in Paraparaumu and Masterton, while hosting Manawatū, Whanganui and Hawke’s Bay at Pukekura Park or in New Plymouth.

The confirmed schedule is:

December 12–13: Horowhenua-Kāpiti, Paraparaumu

January 9–10: Manawatū, Pukekura Park

January 16–17: Whanganui, New Plymouth

January 30–31: Wairarapa, Masterton

February 13–14: Hawke’s Bay, Pukekura Park

February 26–28: Zone 2 Hawke Cup Challenge, venue to be confirmed

The Zone 2 Challenge will provide the opportunity to contest the Hawke Cup, with the Furlong Cup winner earning the right to challenge the holder.

A separate squad will be announced for the Chapple Cup T20 tournament, which will be hosted in Palmerston North in late November.