Nelson's Josh Clarkson has hit the ground running in the 2026/27 cricket season, the big allrounder breaking the Central Stags' one-day sixth wicket partnership record in game one of the season before he headed off to join up with the BLACKCAPS T20 International squad against India.

 

Now Clarkson returns to the Stags for tomorrow’s Ford Trophy round three match at Saxton Oval and the Stags will welcome his return with the national one-day champions zero from two after two bizarre results.

 

Clarkson’s 172-run sixth-wicket stand with Sam Cassidy in game one obliterated the Stags’ old record of 115 that had been held by Brad Schmulian and Dane Cleaver. 

 

The 29-year-old old boy of Nelson College contributed 74 off just 60 balls at Saxton Oval, while 22-year-old Cassidy pumped a record 137 off 93 balls (the highest score by any number seven batter in the six decades of the competition) on Ford Trophy debut.

 

 

Sam Cassidy and Josh Clarkson | PHOTOSPORT

 

 

The pair helped the Stags reach a score of 341 — a winning total on nine days out of 10, but on this occasion it fell on the wrong side of the ledger thanks to Northen Districts having opened their season account with a Northern Districts all-time record team total of 403/6.

 

The good news is there are clearly plenty of runs in the Saxton Oval surface as Central returns a week down the track to play early Ford Trophy leaders the Auckland Aces tomorrow from 10.30am.

 

The Stags are hoping to inflict the first defeat of the season on the Aces, and pocket their first points after a rough trip to Dunedin on the weekend in which they couldn’t chase down the Otago Volts’ middling 233 all out in seamer-friendly conditions. 

 

There have still been plenty of bright spots for Central who have blooded four new players across the previous two rounds — big-hitting Cassidy, opener Taylor Bettelheim, another physically imposing allrounder in Oscar Mabin, and former Otago Volts paceman Jake Gibson — with seven players having been called away to play for either the Blackcaps or New Zealand A during the week.

 

 

 

 

 

Now they must bid farewell to Will Young who is in the Blackcaps one-day squad playing India from tomorrow in the 50-over series, but Clarkson’s return after the conclusion of the T20 internationals brings in one highly experienced player for another.

 

Clarkson now has 94 Central Stags caps in this competition, fifth on the Stags’ all-time list for one-day cricket. 

 

Tomorrow sees the possibility of the powerful specimen playing for the first time in combination with 20-year-old acolyte Mabin — who has given up a promising rugby career to concentrate on cricket, and stands at 193cm (six foot four) in his socks.

 

Mabin took three wickets on debut in Dunedin on Sunday, and the more experienced Gibson took three wickets as well in his own first match in the green. 

 

Admission is free tomorrow in Stoke, the last free Stags match at the Stags’ Nelson home ground this summer before the Central Stags and Hinds return on 10 January to host the same team, Auckland, here in the Super Smash — tickets for which will go on sale in late November.

2026/27

ROUND THREE

10.30am Wednesday, 4 November 2026

Central Stags v Auckland Aces

Saxton Oval, Nelson

Tom Bruce — captain, Taranaki

Taylor Bettelheim — Hawke’s Bay

Sam Cassidy — Hawke’s Bay

Josh Clarkson — Nelson

Dane Cleaver — wicketkeeper, Manawatū

Toby Findlay — Hawke’s Bay

Jake Gibson — Wairarapa

Oscar Mabin — Whanganui

Ajaz Patel — Hawke’s Bay

Angus Schaw — Hawke’s Bay

Brad Schmulian — Hawke’s Bay

Ray Toole — Manawatū

Head Coach - Heinrich Malan

Assistant Coach - Aldin Smith

Josh Clarkson | PHOTOSPORT

Article added: Tuesday 3 November 2026