Cricket: Worker's words of wisdom warranted

CD batsman George Worker shows the intensity he's acquired since thriving in the Black Caps' environment. Photo/John Velvin, ESPNZ

What George Worker was saying with his willow didn't require any translation but it's what he said to his Central Districts teammates in the changing rooms before their domestic cricket match at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, it seems, desperately did.

"He said, 'The only difference between an international cricketer and first-class cricketers has nothing to do with skill but the intensity they bring to the park'," CD coach Heinrich Malan said of Black Caps one-day opening batsmen Worker yesterday after the lefthander smashed 75 runs from 36 balls in their five-wicket loss to the Northern Districts Knights on Saturday.

The 28-year-old Manawatu opening batsman accrued seven boundaries and half a dozen sixes in a fireworks display that came a shade close to the 200 strike rate in the round five Burger King Super Smash Twenty encounter.

Having returned from the New Zealand team's limited-overs campaign, Worker had adroitly forged a lucrative 84-run partnership with captain William Young (43 runs from 35 balls) to take the hosts to a bullish 140-2, as the capacity crowd at the picnic-like terraced compact venue hummed in expectation.

But the departure of the pair, after fellow opener Jesse Ryder had fallen prey to Worker's slayer, Anton Devcich, triggered off a colossal collapse as CD shuddered to 181-8 in their allotted 20 overs.

Ironically the visitors had gifted them 14 extras, including six wides.

Bar wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver, who scored 19 runs at No 4 before Devcich trapped him leg before wicket, every other batsmen contributed single-digit figures that would have made Uncle Scrooge beam with pride after a visit to a bargain basement store.

In reply, the Knights avenged their 49-run defeat at Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui, last Wednesday with 182-5 and two overs to spare.

Spinner Devcich was the chief destroyer (3-21) with a game-high economy rate of 5.25 an over.

If the picturesque Puke Park is promoted as the "House of Fun" then it has been anything but that for the Stags in their two outings, including a Ford Trophy loss to the Auckland Aces, so far this summer.

It's obvious another dialect that needs deciphering is the yo-yo, morse code-like pattern of the Stags' performance - loss-win-loss-win-loss with two defeats coming from back-to-back first-up victories to the same oppositions.

"That's probably the key thing we touched on [Saturday] was that we played some fantastic cricket in stages but, unfortunately, we didn't in other stages," Malan said. "It's tough when you're not consistent so we've really got to make sure we step up a little bit more."

He said it was something the players had brainstormed for the past three or four seasons but that hadn't materialised in their T20 campaign.

The promising aspect, he said, was the men's ability to identify that lapse. They were in the throes of trying achieve a state that Worker, Ryder, Tom Bruce and Seth Rance had savoured on international duties.

"The quicker they learn, the quicker they'll make the step up," he said as they prepare for the round-six televised match against the Aces at the same venue on Thursday.

On Saturday, ND opening batsman Tim Seifert led the charge for ND with 47 from 36 balls as six of the top seven got into double figures.

CD made big strides in discipline in just conceding two extras.

Stags bowlers Ben Wheeler (1-26), Ajaz Patel (2-37), Bevan Small (1-25) and Blair Tickner
(0-31) all stayed under 10 an over but Ryan McCone (0-39 off 2 overs) took a pasting at 19.5 an over while Worker (1-23 off 2 overs) strayed over at 11.5.

A chuckling Malan said of CD seamer Rance, after his big Chris Gayle scalp against the West Indies in the T20 opener on Friday: "No doubt, as soon as he returns from the Black Caps' environment we'll hear all about it."

On a serious note, he was delighted for a "special guy" who claimed 3-30 on on a "special occasion" (debut).

CD, who are sitting in fifth place on the table, won't reach for the panic button in the belief they still have many games to play, albeit smartly, although Malan felt it was imperative to note they had had a lot of changes in the side.

"We've still got our destiny in our own hands and we still have a lot of confidence so it's all good."

The Wellington Firebirds are on the top rung on equal 16 points with ND.