The first-class season may have just wrapped up, but it’s not the last chance to see some of the season’s standout performers in action — not to mention a couple of current or former BLACKCAPS!
The annual NZCT National Club Championships take place this week at Auckland's Cornwall Cricket Club — a gathering of the six top club sides from around New Zealand.
This year, these are the clubs that have qualified by finishing as top dogs in their Major Association area:
• Suburbs New Lynn — representing Auckland
• Manukau City — Northern Districts
• Napier Tech Old Boys — Central Districts
• Eastern Suburbs — Wellington
• St Albans — Canterbury
• Kaikorai — Otago
These regional club champions compete in a one-day cricket round robin which ends with 1st v 2nd, 3rd v 4th and 5th v 6th playoffs on Finals day on Sunday 10 April.
Suburbs to the bone: Jeet Raval
Among players participating this year are BLACKCAP Ish Sodhi; Auckland rugby halfback and SKYCITY Northern Knight Jono Hickey; recent SKYCITY Northern Knights Nick Kelly (remember his big hitting in Georgie Pie Super Smash?) and Tamati Clarke; Mondiale Auckland Ace Jeet Raval — fresh from scoring 1000 first-class runs in a season and winning the Plunket Shield.
He'll be reunited with his Aces captain Michael Bates plus former BLACKCAPS wicketkeeper Reece Young; and taking on Devon Hotel Central Stag and Ford Trophy winner Indika Senarathne; fellow Stag Stevie Smidt; Wellington Firebirds Alecz Day, Jamie Gibson, Ili Tugaga and Fraser Colson; SBS Bank Otago Volts Josh Finnie and Ryan Duffy and NZU19s standout Christian Leopard.
Josh Finnie
The 2015/16 NZCT National Club Championships begin this Tuesday 5 April, with action continuing daily through to Sunday. All games are free entry at Cornwall Park numbers one, two and three grounds. All matches are livescored at www.blackcaps.co.nz and on the BLACKCAPS mobile app.
TEAMS
Manukau City Ashwyn Herwels (captain), Dion Joll, Shalen Singh, Tristan Payle, Nick Kelly, Tamati Clarke, Jono Hickey, Scott Osman, Ish Sodhi, Sandeep Patel, Le Shur Vermuelen, Scott Allison, Jarryd Halliday, Troy Joll; Michael Halliday (Coach / Manager)
Napier Tech Old Boys Liam Rukuwai (captain), Stevie Smidt, Josh Paerau, Matt Edmondson, Craig Findlay, Christian Leopard, Ash Vodnala, Indika Senarathne, Jason Whyte, Jadyn Lennox, Jurgen Andersen, Craig Herrick, George Diack, Iziah Lange, Dale Smidt (Coach); John Drake (Manager)
St Albans James O’Gorman (captain), Benjamin Langrope, Aaron Johnstone, Dylan Budge, James Southby, Matthew Holstein, James Tapper, Gregory Dawson, Robbie Polson, Tom Meyrick, Michael Slack, Scott Johnston, William Southby, Nicholas Watt
Suburbs New Lynn Michael Barry (captain), Jeet Raval, Jonathan Bassett-Graham, Reece Young, Luke Dudman, Mitchell Murray, James Parslow, Michael Bates, Dane Watson, Josh Presland, Bruce Pamatatau, Anas Patel, Temapare Hodson, Luke Devereaux
Eastern Suburbs Lance Dry (captain), Jack Anderson, Peter Connell, Alecz Day, Jeremy Dean, Fraser Colson, Andrew Fullerton-Smith, Chamika Gajanayaka, Jamie Gibson, Lauchie Johns, Ricky Joseph, Jimad Khan, Ili Tugaga; Sean Joseph (Manager)
Kaikorai Iain Robertson (captain), Geordie Scott, Matt Hunter, Ryan Duffy, Dan Sharples, Josh Finnie, Jack Nuttall, Rhys Bayly, Hamish Robertson, Josh Preston, Michael Fraser, Dan Hamilton, Ricki Allan, Liam Cotton; Lindsay Neilsen (Scorer / Manager)
HISTORY
National Club Champions
1994/95 Grafton United (Auckland)
1995/96 Victoria University (Wellington)
1996/97 Victoria University (Wellington)
1997/98 Victoria University (Wellington)
1998/99 Green Island (Otago)
1999/00 Green Island (Otago) / Wanderers (Central Districts)
2000/01 Stokes Valley (Wellington)
2001/02 Green Island (Otago) / East Shirley (Canterbury)
2002/03 Napier Tech Old Boys (Central Districts)
2003/04 Otumoetai Cadets (Northern Districts)
2004/05 Green Island (Otago)
2005/06 Green Island (Otago)
2006/07 Howick Pakuranga (Auckland)
2007/08 Cornwall (Auckland)
2008/09 Lancaster Park Woolston (Canterbury)
2009/10 Karori (Wellington)
2010/11 East Shirley (Canterbury)
2011/12 Takapuna (Auckland)
2012/13 Old Boys Collegian (Canterbury)
2013/14 East Shirley (Canterbury)
2014/15 Cornwall (Auckland)
