2025/26 Ford Trophy: Round One Basics

Auckland, Canterbury and Central Districts had wins to start the domestic cricket summer.

Auckland

Win vs Northern Districts | 1-0 | 2.501 NRR

Best Performers

  • Jock McKenzie: 8ov, 4w @ 4.5rpo

  • Simon Keene: 9ov, 2w @ 3.6rpo

  • Ryan Harrison: 7ov, 2w @ 2.5rpo

  • Adithya Ashok: 8ov, 2w @ 3.8rpo

  • Bevon Jacobs: 67* @ 149sr

  • Cameron Fletcher: 34* @ 52sr

Notebook

Ashok was captain. Jacobs had three ducks in a row during NZ-A tour of South Africa and now has scores of 51, 20, 67* in last three innings. Jacobs has LA record of 27.9avg/106sr.

Slight tweak in role for McKenzie who opened the bowling and was due to bat eight, one spot below Keene. More bowling focus perhaps for McKenzie. Lots of seaming all-rounders for Auckland with Jimmy Neesham, Keene, McKenzie and Harrison in the same team.

Northern Districts

Loss vs Auckland | 0-1 | -2.501 NRR

Best Performers

Joe Carter: 53 runs @ 64sr

Kristian Clarke: 37* @ 84sr

Scott Kuggeleijn: 6ov, 2w @ 5.1rpo

Notebook

Carter's recent scores: 138, 13, 33, 17, 58, 62, 3, 47, 57, 1, 1, 43, 53

Carter is averaging 35+ in FC and LA batting.

19-year-old Xavier Bell opened the batting on debut. His one boundary looked crisp.

Central Districts

Win vs Wellington | 1-0 | 1.13 NRR

Best Performers

  • Josh Clarkson: 10ov, 5w @ 3.2rpo

  • Jayden Lennox: 7.5ov, 3w @ 2.5rpo

  • Brad Schmulain: 60 runs @ 62sr

  • Dean Foxcroft: 51 runs @ 108sr

  • Curtis Heaphy: 35 runs @ 56sr

Notebook

Clarkson's best bowling format is LA with 27.9avg/5.4rpo. He didn't take a wicket for NZ-A vs SA-A in the two one-dayers that he bowled in though. Lennox took 2w in both one-dayers for NZ-A vs SA-A and has 2+ wickets in six of his last seven innings.

Schmulian averages 45.2 in LA batting with a FC average of 38.7. Foxcroft averages 30+ in all three formats and scored 108 runs @ 101sr in two one-dayers during the NZ-A tour of Bangladesh this year.

Heaphy's recent scores: 5, 10, 71, 50*, 35, 30*, 32, 36, 190, 13*, 35

Wellington

Loss vs Central Districts | 1-0 | -1.13 NRR

Best Performers

  • Gareth Severin: 60 runs @ 88sr

  • Tim Robinson: 45 runs @ 100sr

  • Logan van Beek: 44 runs @ 83sr

  • Peter Younghusband: 8ov, 2w @ 4.6rpo

  • James Hartshorn: 9.2ov, 2w @ 5.1rpo

  • Liam Dudding: 7ov, 1w @ 3.2rpo

Notebook

Severin finished last summer with scores of 36, 72, 8, 83, 29 and 26 in Plunket Shield. Has a LA batting record of 21avg/65sr so lots of room for growth - this was his first 50+ score in LA.

Robinson's highest batting average is T20I with 31.23avg. Averages 16 in ODIs after three innings and 23.7 in LA after 25 innings, still has four 50+ scores though.

Younghusband has taken 2+ wickets in five of his last seven innings. Operating as main spinner with Jesse Tashkoff offering bonus spin and he took 1w @ 8.2rpo, which was part of a wee flash of Tashkoff's ability as he opened the batting and hit 21 runs @ 140sr.

Canterbury

Win vs Otago | 1-0 | 1.21 NRR

Best Performers

  • Angus McKenzie: 8.5ov, 3w @ 3.3rpo

  • Michael Rippon: 9ov, 3w @ 3.1rpo

  • Henry Nicholls: 117* @ 94sr

Notebook

Nicholls has a LA batting average of 42.8. He has two not-out centuries back to back after 150* in a Test vs Zimbabwe and had a 4* before that so three not-outs in a row.

McKenzie isn't far away from averaging below 30 with the ball in all formats. He's only above 30avg in FC bowling (32.6avg) and averages 28.9 in LA, with 10 consecutive innings taking at least a wicket. Same with Rippon who is below 30avg in LA and T20s, while averaging 34 in FC bowling.

Otago

Loss vs Canterbury | 0-1 | -1.21 NRR

Best Performers

  • Jack Boyle: 64 runs @ 83sr

  • Max Chu: 36 runs @ 75sr

  • Ben Lockrose: 10ov, 1w @ 5rpo

Notebook

Funky top-five for Otago: Boyle, Todd, Parkers, Chu, Johnson.

Boyle's best batting format is LA with 37.1avg/74sr. In the Ford Trophy last season Boyle put up 411 runs @ 41.1avg/85sr for CD.

Chu was recently playing in the Canada Super 60 where he scored 172 runs @ 28.6avg/226sr.

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Peace and love.