Latest news with #OtagoVolts
Otago Daily Times
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Volts in market for coach after Noffke's exit
Ashley Noffke is one and done with the Otago Volts. The Australian coach has resigned his position with the Otago Cricket Association with immediate effect. It is not exactly a huge shock, as it was revealed recently Noffke had been given leave to join Pakistan as an assistant coach and the OCA was unsure whether he would return to fulfil the second year of his contract with the Volts. Still, it means Otago are looking for a third coach in as many seasons, and that is not often a recipe for a stable environment. Otago Cricket performance general manager Steve Martin said Noffke was permitted leave to take up the opportunity offered by Pakistan's new head coach, former Volts and Black Caps coach Mike Hesson. Noffke served as bowling coach for Pakistan in their recently completed series against Bangladesh. While there has been no official announcement, it seems likely the Australian has been given reasonable indication he is a contender for a permanent role with the national team. That is always going to be a significant carrot, especially as it may mean Noffke will have to spend less time away from his family in Australia. Noffke came to Otago from women's cricket, where he was coaching the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash and the London Spirit in The Hundred. He played one ODI and two T20s for Australia, and took 386 wickets in 118 first-class games and 138 wickets in 121 list-A games. In his single season in the South, Noffke guided the Volts to one win from eight Plunket Shield games, five wins and five losses in the Ford Trophy, and four wins in 10 Super Smash games. Those might sound like moderate results but there were some signs the Volts were taking some positive steps, and new players were blooded. Martin highlighted the "great progress" Noffke had made over the past year in the development of players and the team. "Ash has been instrumental in the development of our players whose improvement throughout the 2024-2025 season was clearly noticeable," Martin said in a statement. "His people management skills, his game knowledge and his drive for improvement created confidence in players and support staff. "As much as we are sad to see Ash leave, our men's high-performance programme has grown considerably as a result of his efforts." Otago Cricket has immediately advertised for the role and expects to have a replacement head coach in place within the next two months. Cricket never really stops, so the association is "progressing with an interim winter coaching resource" ahead of the appointment of a permanent head coach. The extra complicating factor is that Otago was some way down the track to finding an assistant coach, following the departure of Ben McCord, to work with Noffke. Any firming up of an assistant's role will presumably now have to wait until a new kingpin is in place. It is all change at Otago Cricket headquarters following news late last week that Welshman Gareth Davies was inbound to be the new Sparks coach.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
New Zealand appoints Rob Walter as new men's head coach across formats
Former South Africa coach Rob Walter was on Firday appointed as New Zealand's new head coach across all formats. The 49-year-old Walter who will step into his role later this month ahead of the tour to Zimbabwe, replaces Gary Stead as the new man in charge of the Black Caps unit. Walter was a frontrunner for the position after resigning from his role with the South African limited-overs sides in April. 'The Black Caps have been a successful and highly-regarded team on the world scene for some time now and it's a real privilege to be given the chance to add to that,' Walter said in a statement. 'It's an amazing opportunity to work with such a talented group of players and support staff through a period of time in which so many global events, as well as massive bilateral series, will be contested.' Walter's contract includes leading the Kiwis up until the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with three major ICC tournaments in between, including the 2027 World Cup. NZ Cricket chief executive Scott Weenink heaped praise on Walter's coaching credentials. 'His success in New Zealand's domestic game, combined with his recent achievements on the global stage with South Africa, makes him the ideal candidate to lead the Black Caps.' Walter previously was at the helm of the Otago Volts in New Zealand's domestic competitions between 2016 and 2021, before moving to Hawke's Bay and briefly coaching the Central Stags. In his time with the Proteas since 2023, Walter led the side to their first T20 World Cup final in 2024 and the semi-finals of the 50-over World Cup and Champions Trophy in 2023 and 2025 respectively. Earlier this week, Stead's departure from the role was announced by New Zealand after a successful stint as the side's most successful coach across formats. While he had hoped to extend his role with the Test side, New Zealand Cricket's choice to maintain a single coach meant the end to a seven-year tenure during which Stead won the inaugural ICC World Test Championship finals and reached three white-ball finals.
Otago Daily Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Two Volts in strong NZ A side
Two Otago players feature in a Black Caps back-up brigade heading to Bangladesh later this week. Nine players with international experience are included in a 15-strong New Zealand A squad for five games on the sub-continent. Otago Volts player of the year Dale Phillips, accustomed to seeing brother Glenn skipping around the world with the Black Caps, will get a valuable opportunity to press his claims for higher honours. Volts team-mate Dean Foxcroft will also be eager to impress both with the bat and as a spin bowling candidate. The tour, comprising three white-ball and two four-day games across Sylhet and Dhaka, represents an opportunity to develop New Zealand's next level of men's talent and follows last year's home and away tours against Australia A. Wellington captain and former Volts batter Nick Kelly, who made his Black Caps debut during the recent ODI series against Pakistan, will lead the team in the 50-over games, while Northern Districts batter Joe Carter will captain the side in the two four-day clashes. Carter excelled in New Zealand A's last visit to the sub-continent, averaging 60 and scoring two first-class centuries, including a career-best 197 during the 2022 tour to India. The batting unit includes recent Black Caps debutants Rhys Mariu and Muhammad Abbas, as well as Canterbury player of the year Matt Boyle and Central Stags Ford Trophy player of the year Curtis Heaphy. Boyle, Phillips and Heaphy each amassed more than 1000 runs across the domestic season. Canterbury wicketkeeper-batter Mitch Hay will embark on his third New Zealand A series, after featuring 17 times for the Black Caps since making his international debut against Sri Lanka in Dambulla in November. The 24-year-old has proven his ability at the highest level with both bat and gloves and notched his highest international score, an unbeaten 99, in the second ODI against Pakistan at Seddon Park earlier this month. Auckland left-arm fast bowler Ben Lister, who featured 15 times for the Black Caps across the 2023-24 season, returns from injury to spearhead a pace bowling unit including the rising Zak Foulkes and Kristian Clarke. The pace bowling stock are further bolstered by allrounders Josh Clarkson and Abbas, who offers a left-arm seam option. The spin bowling group will be led by Auckland Aces leg spinner Adi Ashok and Central Stags left-armer Jayden Lennox, who receives his maiden New Zealand A call-up, while Foxcroft also offers a handy right-arm off spin option. The squad will be coached by Bob Carter with support from fellow New Zealand Cricket high performance coach Paul Wiseman and former Otago Volts assistant coach Ben McCord. Carter said the squad was made up of a host of high-potential players. "We're really looking forward to touring Bangladesh," Carter said. "For several players, it will be their first time experiencing sub-continent conditions, which will be a great challenge and opportunity to further their skillsets." The New Zealand A squad will leave Auckland on Thursday before their first 50-over game in Sylhet on Monday. New Zealand A The squad Muhammad Abbas (Wellington Firebirds), Adi Ashok (Auckland Aces), Matt Boyle (Canterbury), Joe Carter (Northern Districts, red-ball captain), Kristian Clarke (Northern Districts), Josh Clarkson (Central Stags), Zak Foulkes (Canterbury), Dean Foxcroft (Otago Volts), Mitch Hay (Canterbury), Curtis Heaphy (Central Stags), Nick Kelly (Wellington Firebirds, white-ball captain), Jayden Lennox (Central Stags), Ben Lister (Auckland Aces), Rhys Mariu (Canterbury), Dale Phillips (Otago Volts). — APL
