Cricket: Coaches facing contrasting challenges

Auckland coach Paul Strang. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Paul Strang and Bob Carter hold down the same job description but the tasks ahead of them could not be more different heading into the Plunket Shield cricket season.

The national four-day competition rolls into action tomorrow at three venues, with Strang and Carter facing contrasting challenges.

Strang is coaching defending champions Auckland, who would like nothing more than to back up last summer's success, while Carter is at the helm of a Canterbury side keen to make amends after finishing last in 2008-09 without a win to their name.

The revamped and renamed competition will be played over a full 10 rounds this season, as opposed to the eight rounds plus final of last summer.

The withdrawal of sponsorship naming rights support has led New Zealand Cricket to dust off the Plunket Shield, which will be awarded to the winners for the first time since 1974-75.

The history of the shield, which was first competed for in 1906, has been raised by Strang in pre-season talks with his players.

"A lot of today's guys grew up hearing and reading about the Plunket Shield. I have thrown that into the motivational side of things," he said.

"It really would be nice to keep the State trophy and be the first to win the shield in 35 years."

Strang inherited the Auckland job midway through last summer and was in control when they made their late season surge to the top of the standings before outplaying Central Districts in the final.

They have undergone a number of changes since then, with wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins taking over the captaincy from Richard Jones.

They are without seam bowlers Chris Martin and Andy McKay, who have departed to Canterbury and Wellington, respectively, while batsman Rob Nicol has joined Martin in Christchurch.

As well, Colin de Grandhomme, who averaged 51 in 2008-09 and chipped in with valuable wickets with his medium pacers, will miss the opening three rounds at least as he rests a knee injury.

Balancing that, former England international Ravi Bopara has arrived and is keen to play the first four rounds of the shield season ahead of the Twenty20 and one-day competitions.

Aside from Bopara, much interest will centre on the continuing development of Tarun Nethula, a 26-year-old legspinner coming off a highly promising rookie season.