Photo Credit: New Zealand Cricket
New Zealand’s six Major Associations have announced the first round of contracted players for the 2022/23 Domestic summer with several first-time contractees and stellar transfers across the landscape.
Major Associations can name up to 15 players in the first round of contract announcements, followed by a two-week official transfer window that allows uncontracted players the chance of assessing their options with another MA.
Contracted players receive a retainer and form the nucleus of each Major Association’s campaigns across the Plunket Shield, Ford Trophy and Dream11 Super Smash, but uncontracted players typically also get chances to shine and impress in each region during the season.
Among the key transfers and changes this year are the move of longtime Central Stag and BLACKCAPS quick Adam Milne to the Wellington Firebirds, allowing the vastly experienced paceman to train and play closer to home after having lived in the capital for some years.
Milne steps into a void left by the retired Hamish Bennett while the acquistiion of allrounder Nick Kelly from Otago will help fill a space left by Jimmy Neesham who has not elected to seek a renewed contract with the Firebirds and is at this stage uncontracted domestically.
The Stags meanwhile have picked up last summer’s top Plunket Shield paceman Brett Randell, after his best season yet with Northern Districts, to help fill the gap left by Milne.
Powerhouse spinning heavy-hitter Glenn Phillips – on the BLACKCAPS contracted list – has already announced his move to the Otago Volts where the former Aces will pursue greater opportunities with the ball and be reunited with his younger brother Dale, also formerly an Auckland-based cricketer.
New faces this year include ND’s exciting emerging off-spinner Tim Pringle, the tall son of former BLACKCAPS paceman Chris Pringle. Bay of Plenty-based Pringle, 19, recently made an impressive ODI debut for The Netherlands where he was born, and while he has been named in Northern Districts squads, has yet to make his debut.
Otago has signed up another young rising star in Jacob Cumming, also a son-of: his father is former BLACKCAP and Otago batting legend Craig Cumming.
At 18, Dunedin-born Cumming already has four first-class caps for the Volts with a high score of 37.
Joining Cumming on the roster is young spinner Ben Lockrose who has already represented the Volts across all three formats in a sprinkling of matches since his 2017/18 debut.
Simon Keene burst onto the scene for the Auckland Aces last summer with a sensational three five-wicket bags – one in each of his first three Plunket Shield matches. That was followed by a maiden half century in his next match and their are no surprises the Aces have secured the exciting, brisk and powerful young allrounder for the coming season.
After a poignant journey with Canterbury during which he went through a tough battle with cancer, pace bowler Andrew Hazeldine has crossed the border into Otago for further playing opportunities, Canterbury’s pace stocks looking strong again this season.
Canterbury meanwhile has three first-time names on its roster with prolific young left-hand batsman Matt Boyle the latest from his family poised to wear the red and black – following in the footsteps of father Justin, brother Jack and uncle David.
Allrounder Zak Foulkes debuted in both the Plunket Shield and The Ford Trophy for Canterbury last summer and at 21 up-and-coming wicketkeeper-batsman Mitch Hay has already represented Canterbury in all three formats.
2022/23 Domestic contracts | First round*
*Each team will complete their 16-man roster with second round announcements in July
Auckland
Adithya Ashok, Cole Briggs, Mark Chapman, Louis Delport, Danru Ferns, Ryan Harrison, Ben Horne, Simon Keene, Ben Lister, Robbie O’Donnell, Will O’Donnell, Sean Solia, Will Somerville, Ross ter Braak, George Worker. One player to be added
Northern Districts
Joe Carter, Katene Clarke, Kristian Clarke, Henry Cooper, Matt Fisher, Zak Gibson, Brett Hampton, Scott Kuggeleijn, Bharat Popli, Tim Pringle, Jeet Raval, Tim Seifert, Fred Walker, Joe Walker, Anurag Verma. One player to be added
Central Districts
Doug Bracewell, Tom Bruce, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Joey Field, Greg Hay, Jayden Lennox, Seth Rance, Brett Randell, Brad Schmulian, Ben Smith, Blair Tickner, Ray Toole, Bayley Wiggins. Two players to be added
Wellington
Finn Allen, Jakob Bhula, Luke Georgeson, Troy Johnson, Nick Kelly, Iain McPeake, Adam Milne, Ollie Newton, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Michael Snedden, Nathan Smith, Logan Van Beek, Peter Younghusband. One player to be added
Canterbury
Cole McConchie, Chad Bowes, Matt Boyle, Leo Carter, Sean Davey, Cam Fletcher, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Ken McClure, Ed Nuttall, Will O’Rourke, Fraser Sheat, Henry Shipley, Theo van Woerkom, Will Williams. One player to be added
Otago
Matt Bacon, Max Chu, Jacob Cumming, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Jake Gibson, Andrew Hazeldine, Ben Lockrose, Jarrod McKay, Travis Muller, Dale Phillips, Michael Rae, Michael Rippon, Hamish Rutherford. Two players to be added
2022/23 BLACKCAPS contracts
*Players centrally contracted by NZC who also play for their Domestic team when available
Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young
Name of Author: New Zealand Cricket
The New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, made their Test debut in 1930 against England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth nation to play Test cricket. After waiting 26 years for their first Test win against the West Indies in 1956, they also played their first ODI in 1972–73 against Pakistan. New Zealand are the inaugural World Test Championship champions (2021) and have won the ICC Champions Trophy (2000). They have reached the Cricket World Cup final twice and the T20 World Cup final once.
