The Auckland Aces have broken their title drought in the men's Dream11 Super Smash T20 league.
Now it's time to go after the NZC men's one-day crown as well, a double potentially on the cards - with the Aces playing at home again and top of the table as The Ford Trophy national one-day championship resumes tomorrow morning, 1 February 2024 in Auckland.
On 16 points at the midpoint of the regular season, the Aces hold a fragile, one-point lead over Northern Districts (15 points), with defending champion the Central Stags lurking in third (11 points) as the competition resumes following the completion of the Dream11 Super Smash which the Aces lifted as the top qualifier, after a Grand Final washout with the Canterbury Kings in the main stadium.
The Aces host Northern Districts in tomorrow's top-of-the-table clash on the other side of the West Stand, at Kennards Hire Community Oval, with ND strike bowler Scott Kuggeleijn unavailable as heads off to play T20 for an overseas franchise, and counterpart Ace Lockie Ferguson still resting a calf niggle that saw him scratched from the Dream11 Super Smash Grand Final.
The remaining four teams will be in action the following day (Friday, 2 February) in the split fifth round of the men's national one-day competition.
Minus regular captain Tom Bruce who is playing T20 cricket for the Chattogram Challengers in the Bangladesh Premier League, the Stags will be away to the Wellington Firebirds at the Cello Basin Reserve on Friday, while Canterbury will host the Otago Volts at Rangiora's Mainpower Oval, with all matches starting at 10.30am and the squads to be named by the Major Associations tomorrow.
Ford Trophy • Round Six
10.30am, Thursday, 1 February 2024
Auckland Aces v Northern Districts
Kennards Hire Community Oval
Sean Solia (c), Cole Briggs, Louis Delport, Danru Ferns, Cam Fletcher (w), Ryan Harrison, Ben Lister, Jock McKenzie, Robbie O’Donnell, Will O’Donnell, Nikith Perera, George Worker
NORTHERN DISTRICTS
Jeet Raval (c), Joe Carter, Katene Clarke, Kristian Clarke, Henry Cooper, Pete Drysdale, Matt Fisher, Brett Hampton, Scott Johnston, Tim Pringle, Tim Seifert (w), Freddy Walker
