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Otago Daily Times
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
New Black Caps coach drops Conway for tri-series
New Black Caps coach Rob Walter has recalled a promising Auckland batter and a pace man who has not played for the Black Caps since late last year for his first assignment in charge. Auckland Aces batter Bevon Jacobs is in line to make his Black Caps debut after being included in a 15-strong squad for next month's T20I Tri Series with South Africa and Zimbabwe. The major omission from the side is Devon Conway, who has struggled for runs in recent years for New Zealand. The series will be New Zealand's first-white ball tour of Zimbabwe since 2015. The Black Caps will play the hosts and South Africa in a four-match T20 series at the Harare Sports Club starting 16 July, with the top two teams progressing to the final on 26 July. Jacobs, 23, is the only uncapped player in an experienced tour party captained by Mitch Santner and featuring the return of speedster Adam Milne. Jacobs was first called up to the T20 side to face Sri Lanka in December, but did not play in the three-game series and has recently returned from a stint with the Mumbai Indians at the Indian Premier League (IPL). Milne, who has 53 T20Is to his name, has not featured for the Black Caps since November last year, but has impressed for the Texas Super Kings so far in America's Major League Cricket, claiming 9-96 across his first four matches. Milne will bolster the pace bowling stocks alongside the ICC's number one ranked T20I bowler Jacob Duffy, and the Canterbury trio of Matt Henry, Will O'Rourke and Zak Foulkes. Henry is back after a shoulder injury kept him sidelined from international cricket following the ICC Champions Trophy, where he was the tournament's leading wicket-taker, helping propel the Black Caps to the final. Pace bowlers unavailable for selection for this tour were Ben Sears (side injury), Lockie Ferguson (load management) and Kyle Jamieson - who is awaiting the birth of his first child. Jacobs will be joined in the batting department by hard-hitting openers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, who impressed in the home T20I series against Pakistan in March. Allen is fresh off a T20 world-record knock for the San Francisco Unicorns (MLC), where he racked up the most amount of sixes (19) in a T20 innings, taking him to a career-best 151 (off 51 balls). Seifert was the Black Caps' top-run scorer during the home series against Pakistan, amassing 249 runs at 62, including a career-best unbeaten 97 off 38 balls. Seifert will take the gloves for the series with Allen as the backup wicketkeeper, meaning there's no room for Devon Conway or Mitch Hay in the 15-player squad. Ish Sodhi, New Zealand's second-highest T20I wicket-taker, will join Santner as the other specialist spinner in the squad. Kane Williamson wasn't included after making himself unavailable for selection. Walter is joined by batting coach Luke Ronchi, bowling coach Jake Oram and James Foster, who re-joins the group as a fourth coach. "I think we've got a really strong squad for this tour and I'm looking forward to getting the team together and getting into the work," Walter said. "We've got some good experience in the side and it's nice to be able to welcome back a few of the players who missed the March series against Pakistan because of the IPL." Walter said the series played an important role in the lead up to next year's T20 World Cup. "This series gives us the opportunity to test the breadth of our squad, explore different players and potentially different combinations against some quality opposition." Black Caps T20 Tri-Series squad Mitch Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.
Scoop
05-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Auckland Cricket Welcomes Decision Supporting Development Plans For Colin Maiden Park
Auckland Cricket welcomes the decision of the Ōrākei Local Board to support a proposal to reinforce Colin Maiden Park as a regionally significant sporting precinct and home of cricket in New Zealand's largest city for generations to come. The proposal is underpinned by a $22.3 million investment that will be required to see Colin Maiden Park host Auckland Aces and Hearts matches, with the development to feature modern all-weather training facilities, broadcast infrastructure and the refurbishment of existing buildings to serve as Auckland Cricket's offices. 'This is an important step towards securing a bright future for cricket in Auckland,' Auckland Cricket Association chief executive Ian Francis said. 'There is a lot more work to do – however it is fantastic to have the support of the Local Board for what is an extremely detailed, well-considered plan to transform the existing sporting precinct at Colin Maiden Park into a modern, future-proofed community asset capable of supporting high-performance cricket.' Francis pointed to Auckland Cricket's broader strategy for Colin Maiden Park to become a sport hub similar to Mt Maunganui's Bay Oval, Hamilton's Seddon Park and Christchurch's Hagley Oval. 'This development not only meets cricket's pressing immediate - and long-term - needs but represents a significant development both for the Ōrākei community and wider Auckland,' Francis said. 'We believe this proposal to develop Colin Maiden Park is a suitable option for the future of cricket in Auckland. 'The reality is that the Auckland's sporting landscape is vastly different from what it was even 20 or 30 years ago, and with that has come new requirements for sporting organisations and stadia usage. 'Any major change such as this should be done in a way that it provides positive results for all parties involved – and this plan delivers that. 'Auckland Cricket looks forward to working with the Eden Park Trust Board, Council and our partners to meet the stipulations outlined by the Ōrākei Local Board in its support of the proposal.' Ōrākei Local Board chair Scott Milne said: 'It's taken some time to agree on an arrangement that balances the needs of high-performance and community sport. 'But it's been worth the wait, and we believe this deal is a win-win situation. Auckland Cricket's investment will deliver high performance and also allow Ōrākei Local Board to upgrade other sports fields at Colin Maiden, and nearby, earlier than would have otherwise been possible.' Eden Park Trust chair Kereyn Smith said: 'We support today's decision by the Ōrākei Local Board which marks a positive step forward for Auckland Cricket's plans to develop Colin Maiden Park. 'We are committed to working with the Ōrākei Local Board, Auckland Council, Auckland Cricket, and New Zealand Cricket on a solution that complements the growth of the code across Auckland and the country.'
Int'l Cricket Council
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Int'l Cricket Council
Uncapped New Zealand batter and pacer earn call-ups in Latham-led squad for Pakistan series
In the bowling department, Will O'Rourke, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith and Ben Sears will feature in a four-prong pace attack with both Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson missing out. Henry is undergoing rehabilitation from a right shoulder injury, which led to him missing out on featuring in the Champions Trophy Final earlier this month. Jamieson on the other hand, has been rested with the selectors managing his workloads, as stated in a release from New Zealand Cricket (NZC). In the spin department, all-rounder Bracewell will be joined by 22-year-old Auckland Aces leg spinner Adi Ashok, who has received his second call-up to the ODI squad - having made his debut against Bangladesh in 2023. New Zealand will play the first ODI against Pakistan on Saturday, March 29 in Napier. New Zealand squad: Tom Latham (c), Muhammad Abbas, Adi Ashok, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Mitch Hay, Nick Kelly, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Will Young Series schedule: 1st ODI: March 29, McLean Park, Napier 2nd ODI: April 02, McLean Park, Napier 3rd ODI: April 05, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
Reuters
06-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Bruce hits 345 for third-highest score in NZ first-class game
March 6 (Reuters) - Big-hitting batsman Tom Bruce recorded the third-highest score in New Zealand first-class cricket on Thursday with a superb 345 for Central Stags against Auckland Aces. Only Bert Sutcliffe has made higher scores in a single first-class innings in New Zealand, notching 355 during the 1949-50 season and a national record 385 during the 1952-53 season for Otago. Bruce, who has played 17 Twenty20 International matches for New Zealand, resumed his knock on 212 on day two of the Plunket Shield contest in Auckland and brought up the triple century with a tight single off his 379th delivery. The 33-year-old finally fell after facing 401 balls after nearly 9-1/2 hours at the crease, having hit 36 boundaries and six sixes. The record for the highest score in first-class cricket belongs to West Indies great Brian Lara, who scored an unbeaten 501 for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994.
