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January 10, 2025 • 7 mins

The Central Stags have won three out of four matches in the Super Smash, beating the Wellington Firebirds at the Basin Reserve this week. 

The team will play the Otago Vaults in Palmerston North tomorrow. 

Player Dan Cleaver talks to Adam Cooper about the competition so far and how the team maintain momentum.

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldegrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Twenty past eight here on the All Sport break First
so let's talk domestic cricket now and the men's Super
Smash is well. Got a pretty top of table exciting
game coming up in Palmerston North tomorrow, the Central Stags
hosting the Otago vaults. The Stags at the top of
the table three from four Otago two from four and
second just a couple of points back. They've had a

(00:32):
sort of been helped with a no result from one
of their games against Auckland, so those two squaring off
as part of the double headed tomorrow at Palmerston North
alongside the women's game. Let's set into the Central Stags
camp though, so pretty good season for them so far.
Dane Cleaver joins us now now. He was part of
a one hundred and twenty three run partnership with opener
Jack Boyle to help solidify their win against Wellington just

(00:55):
a couple of days ago at the Basin Reserve. Dane's
with us now here on the show. Morning to you, Dane,
you must be pretty happy with where things sit. Four
games into the composition for you guys.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
Yeah absolutely. I mean anytime you start a campaign off
with three out of four wins and it's pretty pretty
good feeling. But also just the way we're playing our cricket,
you know, the confidence and you know, closing out a
couple of tight games, it's always a good way to start.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
A couple of days ago at the base in reserve,
you're obviously out for revenge from the fixture just a
couple of days prior against the Wellington fire Birds. So
how pleasing was it to sort of get the return
match another nail bitter though under your belts for another victory.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
Yeah absolutely. You know well Inton are a good team
and they've always played their twenty twenty cricket, you know,
been very strong over the over the last sort of
you know, five ten years, so it was nice to
be able to get one back on them. You know,
we came really close at Nelson, but we played some
good cricket but probably just weren't quite sharp enough in

(01:57):
that first game. But yeah, it's just pleasing to you know,
have their composure and play a good all round game.
You know, still a few years has to sharpen up on,
but you know, to get a result, especially off the
last ball, you know, it just gives you that confidence
and a bit of momentum going forward.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
You obviously were at chasing one hundred and ninety three
was the target. What was the mindset there most, particularly
when you hit the crease, you know about twenty five
for one when you came in a first drop.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yeah, I think it's about summing up the scenario and
you know, not panicking. You know, those big totals. Sometimes
you can get a little bit you know, two flustered
and think you've got a winner in the first ten overs,
where I think, you know, we're showing in the first
four games, you know that we've got some real power,
and you know, some of the boys have been betting
really well, so you know, for me, it was just

(02:44):
about sewing up the situation and sort of betting with
you know, Jack down the other end who's been betting
really well, and trying to sort of just guide us
to that platform and to enable us to sort of
win it in the last five overs, which you know,
we were fortunate enough to do you know, a few stumbles,
but we got over the line in the end.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
A mammoth partnership. It was how how you know intense
physical is it in T twenty cricket where you are
having to score at a pretty high run rate to
chase down a big total. You know, just tell us
how you sort of you know, physically go through that period.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yeah, no, no, as well, you sort of go through
a few ups and downs. Even though it's such a
short period of time, it's you know, it's still a
bit like and the longer formats where you have to
ride the momentum. You know, you have a couple of
overs where you might be going really well and then
a couple of overs that you know they might bowl
well or you know, might lose a bit of momentum.

(03:35):
So it's just about identifying those those moments in the game.
You know, you obviously have to run pretty hard between
the wickets, so you know you need to keep that
intensity up, but I sort of just keep your intent
high and so good presence at the crease. And I
think you know, showed the way, you know, the likes
of Jacket and then Tom Bruce had been betting exactly
in that way.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
In terms of the overall season, it's been three or
four seasons in a row where you guys have just
missed out on the playoffs and the Super Smash coming
and fourth well obviously the top three advancing. So the
confidence you're pretty high from the indications at this early
point of the season that that you're on the right
track to hopefully be in that top three in a
month or so's time.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yeah, yeah, I thank you. You know, it's been in
the last few years. You know, we've played some good cricket,
but we probably haven't strung together all three fests of
the game. And you know, in twenty twenty, as you know,
there's some very fine margins, whereas I think this year,
you know, we've got a pretty balanced squad and you know,
we've got some good mix of experience and youth. You know,

(04:35):
I think we've been building really well, which obviously makes
a big difference in those fine margins. And yeah, this
is a lot of confidence going forward. So yeah, I
think we're in a pretty good position. And it can
be a fickle game, so you don't want to ride it,
ride the highs and lows too much, but you know,
at the start, at this stage, it's been a good
start to the competition.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
And Otarga, your opponents at Pame this weekend, obviously a
team that's also having having a pretty good season. What
have you You're made of their progress so far?

Speaker 3 (05:01):
Yeah, yeah, no, they play with good freedom and they've
got a good balance side as well. So I think
if you look across the teams, there's there's no real
there's no real weak teams. You know, you see Canterbury
sitting down the bottom, but you know they've got stack
at black Cats and then guys coming back and and
Otago were probably not as many black Cats but playing

(05:22):
from really good cricket. So I think every match is
important and and yeah, you've got to get every opposition
the respect they deserves. So looking forward to don these
game and.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
Take cargo without asking about your brother, who I see
has been in the stands for your last couple of games.
Caught you and the crowds at Nelson. He was looks
like he was waiting for one on the on the
bank at the basin in Wellington in the most recent
game as well. But a bit of banter throwing between
you and Britain of the last couple of days.

Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah, it's been good. He's he's been enjoying it, you know.
He's been avid supporter of the Stag for a number
of years and you know, playing pretty high level cricket
in South he understands the game and the love's come
along supporting and getting involved in a bit of banter.
So yeah, he's been getting a bit of airtime over
the last week. That's pretty cool for him. And yeah,

(06:08):
he'll be there again in Parmi, no doubt and supporting
the boys. So it's always good having the family there
and seeing them enjoying it as well.

Speaker 2 (06:15):
Yeah great. And you know you central districts, you guys,
and you've been a part of them for a very
long time. You guys cover a huge part of the country.
How nice is it being able to tick off your
different home bases as you go. Obviously that a couple
of games and Nelson now, Parmeerston North and a few
more at various other points around the country too.

Speaker 3 (06:32):
Yeah, absolutely, you know, like where we come from, the
regions and then we've got a fantastic both fan base
and you know, you know, family and widespread support and
we're very fortunate enough to have some amazing grounds to
play and yeah, I love playing out all our ground
so again it'll be good to get my homeground Parmy
and you know give that a shot and you know

(06:53):
to come off the basin and Nelson's amazing cricket ground.
So you have a pretty fortunate really, aren't we.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
Yeah, what's the key to having a good score at
for Turbert Park?

Speaker 3 (07:02):
Oh? I think it's usually a really good wicket, So
you know, same thing as I mentioned earlier, you know,
summing up the situation and then giving yourself a chance
and you know good old Palme quite often using the winds,
so bit light Wellington.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
Nice one, hey Dad, all the very best mate, thanks
for chatting, congrats I'm not on the season so far,
and all the best this weekend against Otigo.

Speaker 3 (07:23):
Oh, thank you very much.

Speaker 1 (07:24):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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