The Ford Trophy 2025 continues with Central Stags taking on Wellington Firebirds in Match 2 on Saturday, 25th October, starting at 3:00 AM IST. The contest will be played at the picturesque Pukekura Park in New Plymouth. Ahead of this clash, here’s a look at the pitch report, head to head record, key props, squads and match winner prediction for Central Stags vs Wellington Firebirds.
Central Stags vs Wellington Firebirds Props
Stats
- Muhammad Abbas was the highest run scorer for Wellington Firebirds in 2024 with 340 runs in 10 matches.
- Liam Dudding was the leading wicket taker for Wellington Firebirds in 2024 with 17 wickets in 9 matches.
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth - Pitch Report
The surface at Pukekura Park is known to be one of the best batting wickets in New Zealand’s domestic circuit. With short straight boundaries and a quick outfield, batters often dominate here, while bowlers must rely on variations and smart lengths to contain runs.
Seamers can get slight movement with the new ball, but once batters settle in, high scores are common. The average first innings total in List-A matches at this venue is around 290–310 runs, and captains generally prefer to bowl first to exploit early moisture.
Central Stags vs Wellington Firebirds Squads
Central Stages Squad : Tom Bruce, Will Young, Brad Schmulian, Doug Bracewell, Joey Field, Josh Clarkson, William Clark, Curtis Heaphy, Dane Cleaver, Ajaz Patel, Angus Schaw, Blair Tickner, Brett Randell, Jayden Lennox, Ray Toole, Toby Findlay.
Wellington Firebirds Squad : Jesse Tashkoff, Muhammad Abbas, Nick Kelly, Oscar Jackson, Sam Mycock, Samuel Morgan, Tim Robinson, Logan van Beek, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Nick Greenwood, Peter Younghusband, Rachin Ravindra, Callum McLachlan, Gareth Severin, Tom Blundell, Amogh Paranjpe, Ben Sears, James Hartshorn, Liam Dudding, Michael Snedden, Yahya Zeb.
Central Stags vs Wellington Firebirds Match Winner Prediction
Central Stags enter this contest as the clear favourites to win this match. The Stags made all the way to the eliminator last season and lost against the Auckland Aces by 91 runs. This time around the Stags have a solid batting lineup led by Tom Bruce.
While the Wellington Firebirds finished at 5th place with 4 wins and 5 losses in 9 matches. Their top order looks a bit weak with most of the players on national duty, while the bowling lineup is also a touch inexperienced. We are backing the Central Stags to win this match and secure their first win of the season.
Our Winner Prediction: Central Stags to Win.
