Domestic Cricket Daily: Ford Trophy #5
Perhaps the best thing about Ford Trophy cricket right now is how there's great variety in who stands up to score runs/take wickets across the board. Guys like Jack Hunter, Liam Dudding, Nick Kelly and Tim Johnston might not be the most well-known cricketers in Aotearoa, however the latest round of FT cricket saw them lead the charge.
That's one end of the spectrum taken care of, then we had Will Young and Michael Bracewell score runs as well. These two ooze talent, they just haven't quite been able to consistently roll out dominant performances while the half-centuries from Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls only reinforced their national credentials at an interesting time for them both.
Central Districts vs Otago (Otago win)
Notables
Otago 287
Michael Bracewell - 92, Michael Rippon - 43.
Liam Dudding - 3/76 @ 6.70rpo, Ajaz Patel - 2/38 @ 4.22rpo, Blair Tickner - 2/70 @ 7rpo.
CD 264 off 49.4 overs.
Will Young - 63, Josh Clarkson - 44.
Jack Hunter - 4/51 @ 5.27rpo, Nathan Smith - 2/60 @ 7.50rpo, Christi Viljoen - 3/36 - 4rpo.
Notes
Michael Bracewell is one of the hardest-hitting batsmen in Aotearoa and he's enjoying his FT campaign with his second half-century in four games (51, 23, 6, 92). As the tournament goes on, keep an eye to see if Bracewell - along with Will Young - can kick on to emerge as a stand out batsman of the competition.
Young's 63 comes after FT scores of: 8, 12, 12 and 10.
It'd be criminal to sleep on Josh Clarkson's 44 as well, despite not being enough to guide CD to victory. As y'all know, Clarkson scores runs for fun and this is his fourth-straight innings in which he has passed 40 ... at just 20yrs.
Our bowling stocks are fairly healthy and we should probably include Otago's Jack Hunter into that conversation. The 21-year-old took 4 wickets here and he's taken 6 wickets in his first three FT games of the summer while also operating with a FC average of 34.13 (3.10rpo) in eight FC games. He's a tall lad who has represented NZ Under 19s and he's part of a young cluster of kiwi bowlers who have a bit of height and speed.
Last round I highlighted Otago's Michael Rippon and in two games, the Dutch international has now put up; 3/36, 0, 43 and 1/35.
Tom Bruce since his 59* for NZ; 5, 4, 1, 8, 50, 13.
Northern Districts vs Wellington (ND win)
Notables
NC 285/6
Nick Kelly - 118.
Ian McPeake - 2/61 @ 6.77rpo.
Wellington 150 off 34.3 overs
Matt Taylor - 45.
Scott Kuggeleijn - 3/34 @ 4.25rpo, Brett Hampton - 2/32 @ 4.57rpo, Jono Boult - 3/29 @ 5.80rpo.
Notes
All about Nick Kelly, who at 23yrs has hit 57, 17 and 118* in his last three innings'. Kelly hit 118* at a strike-rate of 114.56 and he hit more sixes himself than the entire Wellington team.
Bharat Popli's FT struggles continue; 7, 19, 0.
I'm really not sure what Scott Kuggeleijn's ceiling is, but the ND all-rounder just continues to deliver the goods as I'm always writing about him each round. It's not just a case of back to back strong performances in one format, it's across all formats and multiple seasons as well that Kuggeleijn is piling up wickets and a few runs. He took 3/34 @ 4.25 to dismiss three of Wellington's top-four, after he smacked 30 off 20 balls batting at No. 6.
Kuggeleijn's FT so far: 2/45, 22, 2/36, 12, 2/26, 22, 2/31, 30, 3/34.
Ish Sodhi only took 1 wicket, although he was ND's most economical bowler, conceding just 3.28rpo off his 7 overs.
Hamish Marshall's last three innings': 15, 1, 0.
Canterbury vs Auckland (Canterbury win)
Notables
Auckland 209/8
Rob Nicol - 67.
Tim Johnston - 3/30 @ 3rpo, Andrew Ellis - 2/25 @ 3.57rpo.
Canterbury 210/5 off 38.2 overs.
Tom Latham - 59, Henry Nicholls - 76.
Mark Chapman - 2/33 @ 5.50rpo.
Notes
Canterbury's spinner Tim Johnston ensured that Auckland dynamic youngsters couldn't influence this game, dismissing both Glenn Phillips and Sean Solia. Johnston gave Blackcaps wicket-keeping hopeful Tom Latham a few chances to flex, stumping Phillips and Jeet Raval and the way Johnston was spinning the ball past their edge was glorious.
Latham also strengthened his case to remain an opener for the Blackcaps ODI team with 59 at the top of the order, while his mate Henry Nicholls did what he tends to do in domestic cricket.
Nicholls was a gun for Canterbury in the Super Smash, then he hit 53, 4* and 98 in three Test innings' for the Blackcaps before this 76 in one-day cricket. Any time I talk up Nicholls, I'm met with a plethora arguments as to why Nicholls shouldn't hold down a Blackcaps spot. Nicholls' work in domestic cricket at 25yrs is my safety net as he's got a FC average of 36.27 (4 x 100, 18 x 50) and a List-A average of 41 (1 x 100, 12 x 50) meaning he does what he needs to do to earn Blackcaps call ups in domestic cricket.
Leaders
Bat
Sean Solia (Aux): 308 runs @ 102.66avg/115.78sr, 1 x 100, 2 x 50.
Josh Clarkson (CD): 230 runs @ 115avg/117.34sr, 2 x 50.
George Worker (CD): 229 runs @ 57.25avg/84.81sr, 1 x 100, 1 x 50.
Dean Brownlie (ND) 203 runs @ 50.75avg/69.52sr, 2 x 50.
Nick Kelly (ND): 197 runs @ 65.66avg/90.78sr, 1 x 100, 1 x 50.
Ball
Scott Kuggeleijn (ND): 11 wkts @ 15.63avg/4rpo.
Anurag Verma (Welly): 10 wkts @ 16.10avg/4.68rpo.
Lockie Ferguson (Aux): 8 wkts @ 11.75avg/4.17rpo.
Brett Hampton (ND): 8 wkts @ 17.87avg/3.97rpo.
Jono Boult (ND): 8 wkts @ 19.12avg/7.28rpo.