Captain Greg Hay (left) and fellow opening batsman George Worker had a dream start for the Central Districts Stags at McLean Park, Napier, in the last round. Photo/file
They haven't lost at McLean Park since February 2016 but ... the team the Central Districts Stags last lost to at the international venue in Napier are back to inflict similar agony from today.
The Northern Districts Knights have rolled into town to begin their four-day, Plunket Shield match in the penultimate round seven of the red-ball campaign in men's domestic cricket.
The visitors' fourth place on the table of the six-team, first-class competition will mean nothing to the top-of-the-table hosts who also are defending champions.
That's because ND share the same challenges and attributes as CD — the sides embrace widely dispersed major association districts and have immense pride in feeding the talent reservoir of the Black Caps.
It matters little to Stags skipper Greg Hay that the Knights are 31 points adrift on the table from their 82 but, as the prudent will attest to, it's the Auckland Aces' nipping on CD's heels 12 points behind and the Canterbury Kings a point further away that are of concern.
As far as having Big Mo in the corner, the Stags are coming off an emphatic innings and five-run victory over the whipping boys, Otago Volts, here on Monday.
More importantly, batsmen George Worker, Hay, William Young and Dane Cleaver, who is the second highest scorer in the format this summer on 489 runs, are in fine form although others also have the propensity to click.
Opener Hay, who is the third highest run scorer on 475 runs with Devon Conway, of Wellington, leading on 646, says ideally CD's top-order batsmen will want to replicate that because posting huge totals is always the intention.
While winning the toss and batting against Otago offered that opportunity, the 34-year-old from Nelson will reserve his judgement on what stance CD will take on a wicket that may be different, especially after some rain overnight.
"We need 12 points for the win so however we can do that is something we'll have to sit down to see what's in the wicket to try to get the win."
Hay, who didn't start so well but is now a good tosser, is a bat-first bloke but when it's a 50-50 call he doesn't losing the right to make the first move.
That loss to Canterbury in Rangiora two rounds ago, which ended a first-class 21-match unbeaten run, has closed the gulf in the Stags' campaign to defend their crown but he also sees it as a wake-up call.
"We're going to have to work hard for these last two games to try to defend the Plunket Shield," he says of the 2019 Burger King Super Smash champions who were still suffering from a Twenty20 hangover after beating the ND at Seddon Park, Hamilton.
The Knights, who will reload against the Stags at Seddon Park in the final round from Sunday next week, have rolled out the cavalry.
Black Caps Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, wicketkeeper Tim Seifert, Scott Kuggeleijn and Daryl Mitchell add oomph to the prowess of Dean Brownlie, returning from injury, and captain Daniel Flynn.
"They're a very strong side and it's always a tough match up when you're playing ND," says Hay of ND who CD beat at the adjacent Nelson Park last summer to remain unbeaten last season.
Hay is relishing captaincy, especially in breaking the monotony of just batting.
Stags seamer Ben Wheeler is out of this round in his path to recovery from surgery.
"It's just the usual, when it comes to batting, because all you're thinking about is watching the balls so everything else fades into the periphery," says the right hander who carved hi 13th first-class century last weekend.
Hay says it was difficult not to be with his Nelson provincial side as captain when they were unsuccessful in defending the Hawke Cup, the symbol of minor association cricket supremacy, after losing it to Pay Excellence Hawke's Bay senior men's representative team by 10 wickets at Saxton Oval last Sunday.
"I've played Hawke Cup cricket for 17 years so it was a long time coming so you just relish getting you hands on the cup but, obviously, the boys lost it last week after they outplayed by Hawke's Bay.
"It's disappointing I couldn't out there to help them defend it but, in saying that, just getting my hands on the cup is special and something I can hold on to after I have retired," he said after Nelson's historic victory when they took it from Southland for the first time in 22 years.
Manawatu's Bevan Small comes in with rookie You Travel Taradale CC all rounder Dean Foxcroft for CD today.
First drop Young, who again is on as batting cover for the Black Caps v Bangladesh third test at the Basin Reserve, has been bracketed with Ben Smith, of Whanganui.
Small and last round's 12th man, Ryan McCone, will be fighting for Wheeler's peg after McCone took four scalps in Rangiora.
BOTH TEAMS
For the penultimate rd 7, four-day Plunket Shield match starting at McLean Park, Napier, from today:
■ CD STAGS: Greg Hay (c), Doug Bracewell, Tom Bruce, Dane Cleaver (wk), Dean Foxcroft, Kieran Noema-Barnett, Ryan McCone, Ajaz Patel, Seth Rance, Bevan Small, Blair Tickner, George Worker. William Young (Ben Smith).
Coach: Heinrich Malan. Ast coach: Aldin Smith.
■ ND KNIGHTS: Daniel Flynn (c), James Baker, Dean Brownlie, Joe Carter, Henry Cooper, Zak Gibson, Brett Hampton, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Bharat Popli, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi.
Coach: John Bracewell. Ast coaches: Matt Horne, Graeme Aldridge.