T20 Cricket: Changing of guards under way for Stags

Kruger van Wyk

It seems it is definitely the end of the T20 campaign for veteran wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk as a changing of the guards of sorts kicks in.

Having just returned from the Adelaide test match last week, CD bowling coach Jacob Oram missed the last T20 game but was aware this summer's captain had stepped down "for the betterment of the team".

"It's a big call but I think we're fortunate to have someone like Dane Cleaver as the back up to Kruger who, in his own right, is a very good wicketkeeper and he's shown, last summer in the Ford Trophy and so far this season in a couple of short cameos, that he can play some very unbelievable shots to find a boundary when no one else can," Oram said in Napier before tonight's match against Wellington Firebirds.

However, Oram said Van Wyk saw the benefit in handing the gloves to Cleaver to enable the collective to inject a fifth seamer while opening batsman George Worker assumed the mantle of captaincy.

Seamer Bevan Small also offered a handy batting option at No 6-No7 with the ability to loft the ball over the rope.

"In the middle order you might only get 10 or 12 balls to face so if you can generate 20, 25, 30 off those balls than you'll find a spot in most teams, I suppose," said Oram.

CD, he said, weren't too far off the Firebirds' predicament after the defending champions lost to the Canterbury Kings by 18 runs on Wednesday night.

"It's unfortunate for them but, in terms of sympathy, we just have to worry about ourselves and win tomorrow night [tonight] and then again in Christchurch on Sunday night.

"While I'm sure those Wellington boys would be smarting and Bruce Edgar, in his first season as coach, will be a little disappointed we'll just have to make sure we do our jobs tomorrow night."

The former Black Caps allrounder didn't expect McLean Park to deviate from its traditional pace-bounce-and-carry wicket tonight.

"It's always a great pitch out here and it goes without saying because Phil [Stoyanoff] does a great job across the road," he said of the head groundsman.