Cricket: Ticks in right boxes but still no cigar

TAKING STOCK: Blair Tickner reflects on the grand final loss at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, on Saturday. PHOTO/ANENDRA SINGH

When it comes to bowling you can as ask one Stag to take stock of the final because he had all the "Ticks" in the boxes, as it were.

Yep, Blair "Ticks" Tickner was the man in the T20 grand final with 4-34 to post next to his five-wicket bag for the best bowling effort of the Super Smash campaign although the loss on Saturday would have taken a little gloss off it.

"We could have done a little better after 12 overs but we let it go a little bit. We had the foot on their throats and then we eased off so they got a total I didn't think they deserved after the start they had," Tickner correctly surmised.

However, from there CD still felt the score was on a par in the changing rooms, considering they had amassed 250 at Pukekura Park before so 172 wasn't daunting at all.

He said CD had good death bowlers in Ben Wheeler, Seth Rance, Doug Bracewell and Brisbane Heats import Luke Feldman but injuries and higher honours took three out of the equation.

Captain William Young had used his overs to claim wickets earlier and a costly second-change, Ryan McCone, was saddled with the 20th over.

"He [McCone] did well ... so there's no hard feelings there."

Tickner relished his own great start but was mindful others had to be injured for him to come into the reckoning.

He saw no reason why the Stags couldn't claim a third consecutive Ford Trophy one-day title when the campaign starts on Sunday.

"I'll take confidence out of it," he said, adding it was more about passion than money.