Sean Solia returns to captain the Auckland ACES for their Ford Trophy Round Four clash against the Central Stags this Saturday at Kennards Hire Community Oval, Eden Park.

Solia makes his first domestic appearance of the season after representing Samoa at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia & EAP Qualifier 2025, where he impressed with the bat. His return adds valuable experience to an ACES outfit sitting top of the Ford Trophy table after three rounds.

Solia says: “Great to back in the squad after a period on the sidelines. The team have had an impressive start to the season with different guys contributing over the first three fixtures. Nice to be back at home this weekend and excited to put another solid performance on the board and maintain our lead in the competition”

The ACES head into Saturday’s contest off the back of a hard-fought defeat to Canterbury, a performance that underlined the squad’s resilience and depth. Lower-order pair Ryan Harrison and Adi Ashok showcased that fight with the bat, both registering their maiden List A fifties. Their partnership not only lifted the side past 250 but also denied Canterbury a crucial bonus point – a result that keeps the ACES at the summit of the standings.

Ashok, who has led the side superbly through the early rounds, will unfortunately miss this week’s fixture through injury.

The ACES will look to continue their strong early-season form at home against a Stags outfit known for their competitive edge. With Solia back at the helm and several players in fine touch, Saturday’s clash promises to be another entertaining chapter in the Ford Trophy campaign.

The ACES take on the Central Stags in Round 4 of the Ford Trophy at Kennards Hire Community Oval, Eden Park, with the first ball at 10:30am on Saturday 8 November.

Match details:

Auckland ACES vs Central Stags
Ford Trophy – Round 4
Saturday 8 November, 10:30 am
Kennards Hire Community Oval, Eden Park
Free entry

Auckland ACES Squad: 
Cam Fletcher - East Coast Bays
Rohit Gulati - Papatoetoe
Ryan Harrison - East Coast Bays
Bevon Jacobs - Hibiscus Coast
Harjot Johal - Eden Roskill
Harrish Kannan - Cornwall
Simon Keene - North Shore
Jock McKenzie - North Shore
Dale Phillips - Howick Pakuranga
Jaskaran Sandhu - Suburbs New Lynn
Sean Solia - Suburbs New Lynn
Lachie Stackpole - Howick Pakuranga

Unavailable due to injury: Adi Ashok, Matt Gibson, Ben Lister, Angus Olliver, Samrath Singh.

Article added: Friday 07 November 2025