Auckland Aces not easing off against Central Stags

Friday 8 February 2019

The Auckland Aces aren’t slowing down as they head towards the Burger King Super Smash Finals.

A win over the Central Stags at Eden Park Outer Oval tomorrow will ensure hosting right for the Elimination Final next Friday.

Last Saturday the Aces racked up a well-executed win over the Knights, making four victories in a row.

Head coach Mark O’Donnell says their last win shows that the team is putting together some complete performances.

“Against the Kings we played smart to chase a small total, last week we played the exact same way to chase down a fairly large one.

“We had two exceptional partnerships, and that allowed us to haul in close to 200 runs."

“The hard work in the field from everyone was again, very pleasing.”

The Aces won the first match against the Stags at Pukekura Park in December.

Despite being assured of a playoff spot, O’Donnell says there’s no temptation to take it easy.

“We won’t be easing off in the slightest. We’ve built momentum up now, and we want to take that into the knockout games.”

“It’ll be a real advantage to host the elimination final, both from the perspective of knowing the ground and the pitch, as well as the travel aspect.”

The Aces have made one change to the squad after Colin Munro was called in to play for the BLACKCAPS.

"It was great to have Munners back for the last game," says O'Donnell, "But we knew he was going to have international commitments."

The Auckland Aces will play the Central Stags at Eden Park Outer Oval on Saturday 9 February. The match starts at 4:00pm.

Tickets are available from Ticketek or from Gate J at Eden Park. There is FREE entry for children under 14.

Auckland Aces squad to play the Central Stags
Craig Cachopa (C)
Graeme Beghin
Daniel Bell-Drummond
Mark Chapman
Donovan Grobbelaar
Ben Horne
Roneel Hira
Mitchell McClenaghan
Robert O’Donnell
Glenn Phillips (WK)
Matthew Quinn
Will Somerville

ends

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