Ross Taylor Poised For 50th Cap In Ford Trophy

The Central Stags are poised to mark a special milestone for their greatest player when they hit New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park for the first time this season in tomorrow's Ford Trophy one-dayer against the Otago Volts.

Ross Taylor’s record-breaking BLACKCAPS career meant he was available for the Stags only intermittently throughout the bulk of his international career, and on Sunday he will finally be set to receive his 50th Ford Trophy cap in his favourite format - at the same ground where he smashed New Zealand’s fastest Ford Trophy century for the Stags last summer, off only 49 balls.

Taylor is also in sight of his 200th Ford Trophy run tomorrow, in a career totalling a monumental 11,356 List A runs overall.

He headlines a strong squad alongside the owner of the fastest Ford Trophy half ton in history, Taranaki’s own Tom Bruce, as well as a host of other capped BLACKCAPS in Ajaz Patel, Blair Tickner, Will Young, Doug Bracewell, Seth Rance and Dane Cleaver.

The squad features just one change with left-arm paceman Ray Toole coming in for his potential first white-ball appearance of the summer. Pace opener Brett Randell will miss the match this weekend with a family wedding to attend.

The Stags thumped the Otago Volts by nine wickets in their first-round match in Dunedin this season and are looking forward to the rematch, the toss set for 10.30am, and sunny weather in the forecast with free admission at their New Plymouth home ground.

Meanwhile Central Stags and BLACKCAPS legend Mark Greatbatch is the latest name to be announced for a special event on 15 December in New Plymouth, when Taylor will be joined by Stags legend Jamie How, comedian Ben Hurley and a suite of surprise guests for a dinner event at The Devon Hotel.

Bookings are essential and available at cdcricket.co.nz with the 'aftermatch entertainment' following that day’s free admission Ford Trophy match against the Auckland Aces at Pukekura Park, a rematch of last season’s Grand Final.

Round Three, 2022/23

CENTRAL STAGS v OTAGO VOLTS

Pukekura Park, New Plymouth

11am • Sunday 4 December 2022

SEE FULL SEASON SCHEDULE

CENTRAL STAGS SQUAD

Will Young (c) — Taranaki

Doug Bracewell — Hawke’s Bay

Tom Bruce — Taranaki

Josh Clarkson — Nelson

Dane Cleaver (w) — Manawatu

Jayden Lennox — Hawke’s Bay

Ajaz Patel — Hawke’s Bay

Seth Rance — Wairarapa

Brad Schmulian — Hawke’s Bay

Ross Taylor — Wairarapa/Manawatu

Ray Toole — Manawatu

Blair Tickner — Hawke’s Bay

Head Coach: Rob Walter

Contracted players unavailable for selection:

Greg Hay — Nelson (injury)

Ben Smith — Whanganui (injury)

Joey Feld — Hawke’s Bay (injury)

Brett Randell — personal reasons

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