Twin tons help the Stags trump Aces with ease
The Central Stags remain top of the table after the fourth round of the Ford Trophy yesterday.
They beat the Auckland Aces, while the Northern Knights got up over the Wellington Firebirds to move into second and Canterbury beat the Otago Volts.
Twin centuries from Josh Clarkson and Will Young powered the Stags to an 123-run win over the Aces at Colin Maiden Park.
Clarkson made 103 off 95 balls, with six fours and four sixes, while Young made 100 off 101 balls.
They shared in a 211-run stand for the fifth wicket, spending nearly 32 overs at the crease together.
Seamer Sean Solia took 4-46 but the Stags posted 299-7.
The wickets were shared around as the Stags then dismissed the Aces for 176. Adam Milne took 2-20, Blair Tickner 2-23 and Ajaz Patel 2-45.
Glenn Phillips top scored for the Aces with 43, after being dropped from the Black Caps for Sunday’s Twenty20 decider against Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Knights batsman Daryl Mitchell blazed an unbeaten century to power his side to a fourwicket win over the Firebirds, chasing 321. Mitchell finished on 126 off 101 balls as they got there with 2.3 overs remaining at the Basin Reserve.
He smashed fours and five sixes, and received good support from Dean Brownlie, who was dismissed for 97.
The Knights needed 125 from just over 14 overs at that stage but Mitchell and Scott Kuggeleijn, who blasted 44 off 27 balls, got them home.
Devon Conway was the rock for the Firebirds, making 93, while Michael Bracewell (54) and Logan van Beek (54 off 25) also made crucial contributions as they posted 320-9 from their 50 overs.
Elsewhere, Canterbury made light work of the Volts’ total of 254, chasing it down with eight wickets and more than five overs to spare.
Chad Bowes finished 112 not out while Michael Pollard made 46, Henry Nicholls 39, Latham 46 not out.
Neil Broom had top scored for the Volts with 81, while Jimmy Neesham made 69 on his return to the game after a few weeks out.
Left-arm quick Ed Nuttall took 4-58 as the Volts posted 254-9.
Canterbury then got to 257-2 the 45th over.
Young 100; Sean 126no, Dean Neesham 69; Ed 112no)
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