Central Hinds Win Early Season Title

The Central Hinds’ first outing under new Head Coach Jacob Oram has delivered the goods, the team beating three of their Dream11 Super Smash and Hallyburton Johnstone Shield rivals in the Auckland Hearts, Northern Brave and Wellington Blaze to take out the annual North Island Quandrangular Series undefeated.

The Hinds won their T20s against the Blaze and Brave by six wickets to bookend a crushing one-day victory over the Auckland Hearts in which they took out the 50-over match by 121 runs on Sunday.

The Labour Weekend tournament is traditionally played at Taupō’s Owen Delany Park each year and represents an early look at form ahead of the forthcoming national competitions.

The North Island title capped a perfect start to the 2023/24 season for CD teams as the Central Stags meanwhile completed an innings victory in Auckland with a day to spare, to get their defence of the first-class Plunket Shield championship off to a solid start.

The Hinds’ NZC Domestic season begins on Saturday, 18 November with the first two rounds of the national one-day Hallyburton Johnstone Shield taking place at their home ground of Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North over that weekend, both against last season’s runner-up, the Canterbury Magicians.

Particularly pleasing for Oram was seeing a range of performers standing up to put the team into a winning position, or close out the result at the death.

Young Hawke’s Bay pace bowler Aniela Apperley and Blaze import and WHITE FERN Thamsyn Newton (both representing Hawke’s Bay this summer) also got their first games for the team under their belt, ahead of the full NZC Domestic summer.

New Zealand Under 19 World Cup star Emma McLeod (Wairarapa), Flora Devonshire and WHITE FERN Rosemary Mair (both Hawke’s Bay) were impressive with the bat, McLeod smashing a 50-ball 66 to ensure the Hinds posted an imposing 313/7 batting first in their one-dayer against the Hearts. They then bowled out the Hearts for 192 with almost seven overs to spare.

The Central Stags and Hinds will also be hosting a free admission Super Smash Open Day at Mitre 10 Park, Hastings together on 20 November 2023, while the Stags will head to Nelson this Saturday to host round two of the Plunket Shield, against the Wellington Firebirds who are also coming off a first-round win.

The match at Saxton Oval will be Stags captain Greg Hay’s 100th first-class appearance (98th for the Stags) in his home town, and will see him move up to become the team’s second most capped player in their 73-year history, overtaking the late Stags and Test representative Mike Shrimpton.

The Stags squad will be named on Friday.

Note to editors

• Online scoring was not available for the Taupō North Island tournament, Hinds scorecards are attached

• The Stags will train from 1-3pm on Friday afternoon at Saxton Oval, Stoke, Nelson

• Selected players will be available to speak to the media following training.

• Please contact me for further information/attendance.

FULL NZC DOMESTIC SCHEDULE

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