Wagner to retire from NZ domestic cricket after final round of Plunket Shield

Neil Wagner, 39, will end his domestic career in New Zealand after playing for Northern Districts (ND) in the final round of the four-day Plunket Shield, which will begin on March 29. Wagner will have a fairytale finish if he can win the game and secure the Plunket title for ND.

Heading into the final round, his team ND are currently on top of the table with 89 points from seven games. Wellington (82) and Canterbury (80) are the other two teams in the running for the title.

Wagner, though, will continue to remain active as a player in county cricket in England.

Wellington seamer Ian McPeake, meanwhile, will retire from all professional cricket after their final-round Plunket Shield game against Canterbury at the Basin Reserve.

Wagner's emotional reaction - he was almost in tears - after ND had lost to Canterbury in the Super Smash Eliminator last month suggested that his career was nearing its end. At the post-match presentation, ND captain Jeet Raval refused to reveal if Wagner had played his last competitive match in New Zealand. As it turned out, Wagner returned for the Plunket Shield, his match haul of four wickets helping ND snatch the lead with a narrow win over Wellington.

In a twist of fate, Wagner's final game in New Zealand will come against his former team Otago in Dunedin. Wagner had played his maiden first-class match in New Zealand for Otago vs ND back in 2008 at the same venue.

Since 2005-06, Wagner has 560 first-class wickets in 133 games in New Zealand at an average of 27.03. No other bowler has more first-class wickets than Wagner in New Zealand during this period. According to available records in the Plunket Shield, only Stephen Book (492), Ewen Chatfield (370) and David O'Sullivan (368) have bagged more wickets than Wagner (365).

Wagner, who was born in and grew up in Pretoria, decided to pursue cricket elsewhere after missing out on selection at different levels in South Africa. Wagner initially mulled moving to England, but ended up moving to New Zealand in 2008. Four years later, he became eligible to play for New Zealand in international cricket and went onto become one of their greatest fast bowlers - and one of the best exponents of the old ball across the world - along with Trent Boult and Tim Southee. He was a vital part of the New Zealand team that won the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) title in 2021.

Wagner's domestic retirement in New Zealand comes just over a year after he had ended his international career. At the domestic level, Wagner represented ND and Otago across 17 years.

Like Wagner, McPeake has a chance to retire with the Plunket title. McPeake has played 55 first-class games so far, picking up 152 wickets at an average of 29.86. McPeake also played 50 white-ball games for Wellington.

"It's been an incredible honour to represent Wellington," McPeake said. "For a long time, I just wanted to get one game, so to have had the privilege to play for so many years and be a part of many incredible matches is something I'll cherish forever.

"Through the years I've been very fortunate to have rubbed shoulders with some of the best cricketers and blokes. It's often said that the best memories you'll hold on to aren't always from the field but it's the time in the changing room celebrating. While reflecting on my time, I see a lot of truth in that."