Marty Kain points to Ben Wheeler but as the man but every CD Stag has the ability to stand up on the day so who will today? PHOTO/FILE
The green shirts have a certain military presence about them on the New Zealand Cricket website which details the statistics of individual players in the domestic Super Smash Twenty20 competition.
It's quite easy for those looking from outside to mistake that digital presence as pomposity but for Central Districts, no doubt, the stats simply represent an unmistakable sense of accomplishment amid a flutter of pride in the McDonald's-sponsored white-ball arena.
It's a somewhat restrained display of the Stags' tribal colours championing a fragmented major association that deliberately took sober measures to build a constitution over three summers under coach Heinrich Malan.
"As CD Cricket we're extremely proud of the way the boys have conducted themselves throughout the campaign," says CD chief executive Pete de Wet as the William Young-skippered troops host the Wellington Firebirds in the 4.10pm at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, today in the grand final.
"They have approached it with a single-minded focus. They have really stuck to the mantra of one game at a time, even when they got to the middle stage where they lost a couple of games they kept focus and kept on it so we're very excited and can't wait for the boys to get on the field [today] and hope they'll bring the trophy home," says de Wet of the table-toppling Stags who booked a direct entry to the grand final with just two losses, one by a run.
The initiative wasn't for the faint-hearted because it meant investing in the young and sacrificing silverware along the way in an act of valour where many mentors would have ducked for cover.
Malan didn't baulk although the South African would hasten to add the blueprint still has to run its five-year course for CD are to realise its entire tangible profits.
Needless to say, the revolving door between CD and the Black Caps is already crying for heavy-duty lubricant as players such as Ben Wheeler, Tom Bruce and George Worker, reinforce the need for a transparent structure where everyone can see where they are and where they want to go.
But motivation has come from within the corps, even though there's always the $100,000 prize pool and the promise of higher honours on a well-trodden pathway to the Black Caps.
If the Stags triumph today the entire $80,000 winners' purse will be divided among players, according to de Wet.
"People who have played more games will get a larger share of the prizemoney so everyone will have a share in that," de Wet says.
He doesn't think it'll be a distraction for a team who have embraced selfless values to build a reputation that must be the envy of the other five major associations.
"They play the sport because they love the sport. They aren't playing for CD Cricket so the prizemoney is a bonus ... but I don't think it'll be any more a motivating factor in them winning tomorrow," says de Wet but realises it'll be great for the Stags if they do prevail because it will be a just reward for a great campaign.
It isa job like any other but, like any commercial enterprise, a top-up is inevitable at the end of a bullish season.
"If you've exceeded the expectations then if the company can give you a reward at the end of it then that's what they do," says de Wet, stressing even those who have moved on to higher honours for their country will be entitled to a slice of the fiscal pie.
However, it's hard to go past the website Badges of Honour bestowed on those gallant soldiers of willow and leather who have been deployed to accomplish missions and even those "petty officers" who have been on call of duty but didn't get past 12th or 13th man status as back-up for those who were stretchered off the park or deployed elsewhere.
Among the top are Wairarapa seamer Seth Rance as the top wicket-taker with 15 scalps. Canterbury Kings' Todd Astle is second-equal on 13 but Firebird Brent Arnel has a chance to eclipse Rance.
In the "most wickets" category, left-arm spinner Worker is fourth equal on 11 with Edward Nuttall (Kings) and spinner Tarun Nethula (Auckland Aces) but the Stag is effectively on his own considering the others' campaign is over.
However, CD season rookie seamer Blair Tickner, who ran out the snake lollies in the final round-robin game, is seventh equal on 10 wickets and can take over a returning Worker. Worker did not make his T20 debut on home soil at Mt Maunganui yesterday in the second match against Bangladesh, although Luke Ronchi's diamond duck must have had Hesson and co bracketing him in for tomorrow's final T20 at Bay Oval.
Tickner, though, has the best bowling honours of 5-19 and Rance is fourth on 4-27 with Wellington's Hamish Bennett (8th =) on 3-18 and Arnle (10th) on 3-21.
In the "best economy" class, Black Caps seamer Doug Bracewell is second at 4.75 behind ND Knights' Ben Laughlin (3.75) who also has the "best dot-ball" percentage of 58.33.
Firebird Bennett is the only yellow shirt to feature, as runner up on 45.59 dot balls.
The top Stag is fallen-hero Bracewell, out for the season with a knee injury at the nearby dodgy Yarrow Stadium, at 40 in fifth place with Tickner (38.51) 7th and Wheeler (37.67) eighth, returning from an illustrious home international T20 debut in Napier on Tuesday.
On a picturesque but postage-sized venue it's imperative bowlers bring their A game because that will be the winning of the grand final because anything edging the willow will scoot or sail to or over the ropes.
Conversely the frugal figures will pile pressure on batsmen to take risks and lose their wickets with reckless shots.
Enter opening batsmen Mahela Jayawardene who will need a duck or leave cheaply to lose just about every batting accolade.
The Sri Lanka import has the second most sixes (18 one behind Otago Volts opener Hamish Rutherford), has the "most runs" of 367, two behind Aucklander Glenn Phillips, and has the fifth-best strike rate of 176.44.
Jayawardene leads the "most fours" race on 43 as is second on the "highest score" of 116 under Phillips who has the same unbeaten score.
Bruce, Worker and test-bound Ross Taylor, all with the Black Caps, feature in different departments' top-10 placings.
With top batsmen missing it's an opportunity for the likes of Josh Clarkson, who has the second best strike rate of 183.33, Young, wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver and Wheeler to stake their claim their batting promotion next season.
Late bloomer Jesse Ryder, in just his second outing in the format due to fitness, is the batting wild card and should he find his mojo no CD fan will begrudge him his cameo appearances in two summers.
Cleaver is the king of "most catches" with eight to show why he is a Black Caps contender and Michael Pollard has one fewer as the only Firebird while Young has snaffled six.
With Ronchi hobbling off yesterday it might be Cleaver's calling.
If there's one statistic missing, it's on "best captain" where, no doubt, rookie skipper Young will have perched on the top rung.
A red-ball batsman at the cusp of national honours, he has shown astute judgement in employing bowlers and changing fields as well as coming in to tick over the strike when wickets have tumbled quickly.
The Wellingtonians have a formidable batting line up notably with veteran skipper Hamish Marshall, Michael Papps and Caps wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi.
T20 is a fickle creature and a resurgent Wellington have every chance to do the unthinkable today but, suffice it to say, all those statistics will remain an impressive due diligence for a summer of plenty.