Cricket: Pink ball, lights test of CD attitude

Central Districts Stags cricket captain William Young. PHOTO/FILE

Pink is just a colour but it's the attitude the Central Districts Stags take to the historic final session under floodlights for the next four days from today that will separate the boys from the men.

Round seven of Plunket Shield cricket will be played with the pink ball for the first time in the history's format in domestic cricket and CD captain William Young said none of his players had ever experienced the ball already tested in test matches or played the red-ball format under floodlights.

Young said the Heinrich Malan-coached side had arrived in Hamilton on Saturday and were training for the occasion, including one up to 9pm yesterday to see how much they had to adapt to variables in their match against the Northern District Knights at Seddon Park.

"It was a little hard to pick up at a length but after a while you get used to it," says Young after day training sessions.

He likened the ball more to a white one where it did quite a bit, including in the air, initially but whether it allowed for reverse swing after scuffing remained to be seen although it didn't appear to be conducive to shining on one side.

"It'll be a learning curve for everyone," he said, revealing they preferred to bat in daylight because at night it would be harder to pick the ball.

The 24-year-old from Taranaki pointed out the Stags had to switch off the floodlights because they had to adhere to strict rules to fend off any complaints from residents around Seddon Park.

"We train right until 9 o'clock and then we have to switch off the lights and go home."

But the adjustment bureau also calls for a psychological shift in playing and resting behaviour.

The matches will begin at 2.30pm, with the first session ending at 4.30pm with a tea break, as opposed to lunch in the mid-morning starts.

When play resumes after 20 minutes, the second session kicks in for another two hours.

It'll be "dinner break", not tea, from 6.50pm to 7.30pm, before the final session from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

However, 97 overs will prevail but in the event extra overs are required in a day play can be stretched to only 10pm.

It's perhaps most reassuring that lost time can be made up on the following day before the scheduled start of play.

"It'll require some adjusting but it'll be quite cool," said Young, echoing the sentiments of talented teammates who have aspirations to represent their country at test level.

Jesse Ryder is out because of the Hong Kong Sixes tournament but injured Black Cap Adam Milne returns after a prolonged injury break.

Taranaki bowler Ryan Watson comes into the 12 while Wairarapa player Stefan Hook-Sporry returns home after serving as 12th man in the previous round.