Cricket: CD brainstorm eclipses rain

EXCITING TIMES: Navin Patel can't wait to finish his degree exams to play cricket in his first contracted season for the CD Stags. PHOTO/Duncan Brown

THE inclement weather has stymied outdoor net sessions but that doesn't mean the Central Districts Stags squad members will leave any less endowed from Napier this week.

The Heinrich Malan-coached Devon Hotel-sponsored CD Stags have been performing indoor net drills at the Napier Technical Old Boys' Club facility and engaging in brainstorming sessions at the Nelson Park pavilion for the past three days.

"We were chatting about plans for the season and the New Zealand Players' Association advised us on the mental side of the game," says newly contracted Stag Navin Patel.

"It's a pretty essential part to get our head around but once you learn to control the controllables it becomes a pretty good calculator," says Patel.

The 22-year-old Victoria University student, who will graduate with a double degree in commerce and science when exams are concluded in November, believes the mental side of his game is strong because of his ability to juggle tertiary education with sport.

However, the right-arm medium/fast pace bowler hastens to add there's always room for developing in that department for everyone.

He has picked up new skills during winter in adhering to the CD strength-and-conditioning templates for individuals.

"I've got a bit faster and have momentum for more swing movement," says Patel who is itching to bowl on grass wickets to gauge his worth.

With all the rain he is banking on a couple of pre-season games as well as the three-day Chapple Cup (one-day) interdistrict tourney at Nelson Park to put his training to test.

"It's pretty disappointing not to get out on grass but it's been a good bonding time with each other," he says.

Sharpening his batting skills is equally imperative.

"I have to have more arrows on my string because you can't be one-dimensional these days."

Patel relished taking the new ball last summer after a rash of injuries to the CD bowling stock, especially in the four-day Plunket Shield campaign.

"This summer there'll be a lot of fit bowlers so there'll be a lot of competition for places so that's what's exciting about CD cricket.

"There are so many bowlers waiting on the wings to be called on," he says, mindful their campaign begins with four-dayers and Malan will be choosing horses for courses.

Last summer Patel was seen predominantly as a red-ball seamer but he intends to build a portfolio that includes the white-ball formats of one-dayers and Twenty20s.

"It'll be good to crack into it but I'll play wherever I'm chosen."

He says the Stags will remain loyal to last summer's mantra of aggressiveness to games as a relatively young unit.

"The exciting thing about the Stags is that there are guys who are under 25 or 26 and they have played so many first-class games."

Patel has been doing some training on top of his CD requirements with former Stags seamer Andrew Lamb in Wellington.

Early this month he toured Australia as a rookie member of the New Zealand indoor cricket team.

"We lost the series 3-2 but it's the first time an Australian side had lost a game in seven years."

Umpires and officials declared Patel the player of the series.

"It was pretty awesome to pick up that," he says, praising the indoor benefits of things such as hand-eye co-ordination and the boost in control once one ventures outdoor.
CD players' four-day camp ends today. ■ The Hawke's Bay Cricket Association has cancelled its annual Kilbirnie Sports T20 Tournament in the province.

"The councils have been unable to prepare the pitches and with more rain forecast they won't be able to get Nelson Park and Cornwall Park ready so ... we have had to officially cancel the tournament," says the HBCA website.