Cricket: Coach to stick with youth for summer

Heinrich Malan.

Jesse Ryder was a foregone conclusion and the contracted list of players for the Central Districts Stags in the 2015-16 domestic season this week confirmed that.

The list of 14 for the Devon Hotel-sponsored team has no surprises as coach Heinrich Malan banked on the tried and true, albeit predominantly fresh-faced players for this summer.

"You've heard it a million times from me but we have a young squad who are exciting, and so we've stood by them for some proper experience and we've banked on that for the past couple of seasons," Malan said on Wednesday with all six major associations expected to add one more player in a fortnight.

CD have rewarded top-order batsman Tom Bruce's contribution during the one-day Ford Trophy-winning campaign as well as making the most of his opportunities in the four-day, red-ball Plunket Shield campaign.

The 2014-15 most-improved Stag scored 632 runs at 57.45, including his maiden first-class ton and six half-centuries, in seven shield games.

Even though Ben Wheeler, George Worker, Will Young and Andrew Mathieson "have played internationally they are not on the Black Caps' contracts so they are MA-listed players", Malan said.

Veteran batsman Ross Tylor, all-rounder Doug Bracewell and speed merchant Adam Milne are on the national list.

"We [CD] have a decent mix, bar Jesse and Marty Kain who are just white-ball players, the rest of them will be competing for places in all three formats," he said.

Injuries and international duties will no doubt prompt the Stags to reach for players in their wider training squad.

Ryder is back in his home province after stints at Wellington Firebirds and, for the last couple of summers, Otago Volts, but has no interest in playing in the red-ball format.

With Jamie How retired, the former Napier Boys' High School pupil will be pivotal for a side yearning for the glitz and glamour of white-ball cricket.

Left-arm seamer Wheeler has had a taste of the global stage while batsman Young is regularly singled out as a middle-order prospect.

CD Stags
Tom Bruce, Dane Cleaver, Greg Hay, Marty Kain, Andrew Mathieson, Ajaz Patel, Seth Rance, Jesse Ryder, Bevan Small, Ben Smith, Kruger van Wyk, Ben Wheeler, George Worker, Will Young.