Change in competition,. . . but not everyone’s happy about it

ANNOYED: Pirates captain Dane Thompson says changing the DJ Barry Cup competition this late in the season is “poor”. Picture by Liam Clayton

CRICKET by Grant Miller

SCRAPPING the DJ Barry Cup final will promote positive play, says Poverty Bay Cricket operations manager Nic Hendrie, but the decision has been described as “disappointing” and “unorthodox”.

Some players said they were surprised by the mid-season change, as well as a late extension to the season.

Hendrie said that in a final the No.1 qualifier would only need to draw the game to win the competition and this could have led to negative tactics.

A points-based format for runs and wickets was introduced this season and it was a “work in progress” in Poverty Bay, he said.

Hendrie said he cut the final after talking to a few players last weekend and mulling over whether it would be “watchable”.

He wanted positive cricket on the final day of the season. The team with the most points after the regular season will claim the DJ Barry Cup.

Pirates captain Dane Thompson called the decision unorthodox and its timing “poor”.

“We had been under the impression all year there was going to be a final,” he said.

After a slow start, Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates had been making a charge for the final and they were working hard to claim second spot, he said.

The mid-competition change was “deflating”.

“It’s a little bit annoying.”

The Pirates skipper said his team would have to play well against Bollywood Stars High School Old Boys tomorrow to “make a run at the title”.

“If we play well enough, we’ll shorten the gap (between HSOB and Pirates).”

However, HSOB captain Scott Tallott said not having a final made “the most sense”.

“That’s how it should’ve been from the start,” he said.

“Common sense prevailed.”

He anticipated a good battle against Pirates.

Tomorrow, HSOB would be missing a few players, including Glen Udall, David Salmon and the captain’s brother, Robbie Tallott, who has returned to Otago University.

Bain Construction Old Boys Rugby captain Jonathan Purcell said he was disappointed the final had been thrown out and he wasn’t sure what was going on.

“Obviously, it puts HSOB in pole position.”

The competition was previously promoted as having six rounds, a semifinal and final, although Hendrie had said the semifinal wouldn’t happen. It will now be nine rounds. Round 5 is tomorrow.

Pirates were worried about the change in scheduling as several players had made other plans for one weekend on which they had not expected to be playing.

Hendrie said the game needed to develop in Poverty Bay.

The Bollywood Stars Poverty Bay rep side are playing in the second-tier Basil McBurney Trophy competition this season.

Hendrie said if they were to return to the two-day game in the first-tier Fergus Hickey Rosebowl competition, they would need to play strategic cricket.

The DJ Barry format could help players develop the right mindset, he said.

Pirates vice-captain Brad Reynolds said changing the rules mid-competition was “not the way to bring professionalism to Poverty Bay cricket”.

He said HSOB were now free to play negative cricket for the rest of the competition, sitting on their lead.

“It’s a disappointment to me to hear we’re changing the format this far into the season.

“You would never see it happening in professional sport — why here?”

•OBR skipper Purcell expected some players would be unavailable this week, but OBR would still have a solid side to take on Boys’ High.

With his team well out of the running, Gisborne Boys’ High School captain Paul Stewart said they would still do their best to pick up points against OBR.

They would strive to play their natural game and not put themselves under pressure.