Central Stags registered their second win in the Super Smash 2021, the premier domestic T20 competition of this year’s finalists at the T20 World Cup, New Zealand. Josh Clarkson with the bat and Doug Bracewell, who has represented the Kiwis at the highest level was the hero with the ball for the team from the Central Districts.
Stags defeated Wellington Firebirds. Both Stags and Firebirds had won their first games of the season respectively. However, in this game, the Firebirds’ batting was not up to the mark and they were reduced to 72-6 at one stage while chasing down 191.
If it wasn’t for their Dutch import Logan van Beek’s unbeaten 61 off 33, which he scored, while playing a supporting role to Troy Jhonson who himself scored a laboured 54 off 46 balls, the Wellington side were headed for a heavy defeat.
The start of the chase was the worst possible for the men in black and yellow as they lost their premier batter Fin Allen on the very first ball of the innings. Bracewell, who got Allen’s wicket got another as he removed Luke Georgeson for another golden duck. Soon enough Nick Greenwood departed as well. It was then that all-rounder Nathan Smith and Jhonson started to build a partnership.
However, Ben Wheeler struck twice in two balls to remove Smith and new man Jamie Gibson to make the situation worse for the Firebirds. Spinner Jayden Lennox’ lone wicket in the form of Tim Robinson meant that van Beek was on the crease with Jhonson.
Earlier in the day, Josh Clarkson played the perfect role of late order messiah for the Stags as he hit 32 ball 71 which was laced with three fours and six sixes to power the men in green and black to 190. Clarkson came at number six when Stags were struggling at 81-4 in the first 10 overs of their innings. He then partnered skipper Tom Bruce who was already in the middle and the duo added an unbeaten 109 off just 59 balls. Bruce remained unbeaten on 69 off 48 balls.