Nick Kelly Leads First Firebirds Squad of 2024/25

On the eve of the Ford Trophy opener, Nick Kelly has once again been named Firebirds captain, having led the team through most of last summer’s campaigns.

The Firebirds 12-man roster contains a slate of familiar faces from last year, as well as the newly signed Liam Dudding, who has a potential Wellington debut waiting at the Cello Basin Reserve tomorrow.

Making the move south from Central Districts, Dudding tallied over 50 wickets for the Central Stags, mostly in the Plunket Shield. He has not featured in the Ford Trophy since the 2022/23 season.

Another notable inclusion for the Firebirds is veteran paceman Adam Milne, who is playing on a casual basis after opting out of an NZC contract earlier this year.

Milne has made himself available for the Firebirds at this point in time, however, the team does not expect him to be a long-term mainstay in the squad due to overseas opportunities throughout the domestic summer.

The rest of the squad will look familiar to fans who followed the team last summer, with batsmen Severin, Robinson, Abbas, Greenwood, and Johnson being consistent fixtures in the team.

Callum McLachlan will take the gloves to start the summer, following a breakout season for him in 2023/24 in which he was named Firebirds Fielder of the Year due to his outstanding work behind the stumps.

The bowling unit, led by Adam Milne’s 12 Ford Trophy wickets in 23/24, also features pace options in Snedden, van Beek, and the aforementioned Dudding, with Pete Younghusband included as the squad’s leading spinner.

Nathan Smith will miss this fixture as a part of his long-term plan to return to full match fitness, after an injury cut his time in Worcestershire earlier this year. Smith has been participating in pre-season activities with the Firebirds and is on track to play a major role for the Firebirds this summer.

The Firebirds will begin their 2024/25 summer of cricket at the Cello Basin Reserve as they take on Canterbury in Round 1 of the Ford Trophy from 10:30am on Sunday, 20 October 2024. Entry to the ground is free and live scoring and streaming is available online at scoring.nzc.nz

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Wellington Firebirds | Ford Trophy Round 1 vs Canterbury | Cello Basin Reserve

1. Nick Kelly (c)

2. Muhammad Abbas

3. Liam Dudding*

4. Nick Greenwood

5. Troy Johnson

6. Callum McLachlan

7. Adam Milne

8. Tim Robinson

9. Gareth Severin

10. Michael Snedden

11. Logan van Beek

12. Peter Younghusband

* denotes potential debut

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