Cricket: Different beast as Stags hunt three peat

Captain William Young (left) says fellow Stags, such as Seth Rance and Ben Smith, will have to put aside the disappointment of Super Smash to help chase the Ford Trophy three peat. PHOTO/FILE

The ball's still white but it's a totally different beast, if you ask Central Districts Stags captain William Young.

But, for what it's worth, the Stags have shown in the past two summers it's an animal they are quite adept at bringing to heel.

"Ford Trophy is a completely different beat," says Young before they lock horns with the Canterbury Kings tomorrow from 11am at the Mainpower Oval, Rangiora, to begin their domestic one-day cricket campaign.

The Stags are coming off a gut-wrenching grand final defeat to the Wellington Firebirds in New Plymouth last Saturday in a McDonald's Super Smash twenty20 match that was teed up for them to win.

"It's a lot of fun to play [T20s] because you're in front of vast crowds and it's all over in three hours where the boys get fired up at the park," he says of the televised affairs.

Young says the one-dayers bring a totally different type of challenges in all facets of the format.

"At the top the ball swings around and nips around so it's a big challenge for the batsmen but also for the bowlers to get it in the right areas.

"Come the end of the innings of the 50 overs stuff it's a lot more like twenty20 cricket again but you have to sort of set up your innings where you have wickets in hand."

Needless to say, Young believes that's what the Heinrich Malan-coached Stags have done with dexterity in the past.

"Hopefully we can do that with the bat and ball quite smart and consistently to get that three peat."

That mission isn't for the faint hearted, either.

Ironically CD are facing a side first up who are the only major association team to have tasted a Ford Trophy three peat, something that has been accomplished only twice in its history.

Canterbury also have the most bragging rights to the one-day format, etching their name on the silverware as the inaugural winner in the summer of 1971-72 and taking it back to their headquarters 13 times with the Auckland Aces having claimed the crown 10 times, Northern Districts Knights and the Wellington Firebirds have done that seven times, CD six and the Otago Volts only twice.

For CD, talking about winning again comes easy but Young hastens to add finding a winning formula early in the competition is imperative.

"That sets up the rest of the competition and makes the job more easier so, I think, that's what we've done well for the past couple of years."

Young is delighted to welcome back the linchpin Black Caps duo of seamer Ben Wheeler and cool customer Tom Bruce.

"They are great players and because they are doing so well their international call up [for T20] was inevitable."

That is tempered with the loss of Black Caps seamer Doug Bracewell whose worst fears were confirmed in a meeting with a surgeon on Wednesday that he will have to go under the knife to repair his injured knee.

Young says after surgery Bracewell will be on the long road to recovery so that'll effectively rule him out for this season.

"It'll probably be six months-plus so it's a real shame for Doug and a blow for everyone," he says of the allrounder who injured his knee on a dodgy Yarrow Stadium outfield tailor-made for rugby.

In the past, the likes of red-ball run-scoring machine Ben Smith, George Worker, Ryder and Young have provided the platform for an exciting middle order in Bruce, Cleaver and Clarkson to free up their arms.

"Also, with the ball in the past we've had Bevan Small run into the breeze with a new ball so obviously, someone will have to step up this season to fill his shoes," he says, seeing Navin Patel or Ryan McCone, who is new in the format, to assume that mantle of responsibility.

As always, there's the spin attack from Marty Kain, Worker and Ajaz Patel although the red-ball king was rendered redundant in the T20 campaign.

Wheeler, Seth Rance and Blair Tickner come into the class of wicket takers to prevent any batting partnerships from getting out of hand.

While Ryder had made an "unusual start" to the summer with a calf injury, Young says the former Black Cap seems to be over it.

"Jess just needs to get into the swing of things so he needs just a little more time in the middle and he'll be back to the old Jesse Ryder, which is what we're all looking forward to."

Asked if there's any mental scarring from the T20 final hurdle stumble at Pukekura Park, Young agrees it was CD's game to lose.

"We didn't play our best game in the final but, to be fair, in the past we've been labelled underdogs and it's a term that we've come to grips with and performed with that tag."

Now CD had evolved to an extent in the white-ball formats where they are a threat to other teams.

"The boys are absolutely gutted after the loss in the final but it's a learning process and we'll just have to learn to win games ... "

CD Stags: Ben Smith, George Worker, William Young (c), Jesse Ryder, Tom Bruce, Joshua Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Ben Wheeler, Marty Kain, Seth Rance, Blair Tickner, Navin Patel.

Coach: Heinrich Malan.