Cachopa to lead Aces in Ford Trophy opener

Saturday 2 December 2017
Cachopa to lead Aces in Ford Trophy opener

Craig Cachopa will lead the Auckland Aces as they head down to Pukekura Park to take on the Central Stags in the opening round of the Ford Trophy this Sunday.

Coming off the back of three Plunket Shield wins, confidence is high in the Auckland camp, something Cachopa is looking to capitalise on.

“The boys are feeling good, winning always helps,” Cachopa says.

“We have an exciting group for the white ball campaign, it’s an enjoyable time of year with three Ford Trophy matches this side of Christmas before the T20 stuff gets going.

“We know the Stags will pose a real challenge, especially at home. They have some dynamic batsmen in their ranks as well as a strong, varied bowling attack. We will just need to stick to our plans and I’m confident we can get the result,” he says.

Over the past couple of days, the Aces had the chance to test their skills against a visiting Hobart Hurricanes side in a couple of Twenty20 practice matches, something Coach Mark O’Donnell says was “sound preparation” for what lies ahead.

“The mindset now changes from red ball to white ball. The games against Hobart were a good opportunity for the boys to start thinking that way. The mood is good in the camp as we embark on our Ford Trophy campaign,” O’Donnell says.

The Aces take on the Stags this Sunday at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth with the first ball at 11am.

MATCH DETAILS:

Central Stags v Auckland Aces
Sunday 3 December
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth
11am

Auckland Aces

Craig Cachopa (c)
Mark Chapman
Danru Ferns
Michael Guptill-Bunce
Ben Horne
Ben Lister
Mitchell McClenaghan
Matt McEwan
Colin Munro
Tarun Nethula
Robbie O’Donnell
Glenn Phillips

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