HAMISH BIDWELL
THEY say that a bad dress rehearsal leads to a good performance, so let's hope that's how things pan out for Central Districts in Sunday's Twenty20 final against Northern Districts, following yesterday's three-wicket defeat to Auckland at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth.
Having made a useful 180 for eight the Stags couldn't contain Auckland, which made it to the target with 3.3 overs to spare.
"Yeah, it was a funny game, with all sorts of games within games," CD captain Jamie How said. "When you've already qualified for the final there can be a temptation to lay off a bit.
"If there's a positive, I think losing highlighted a few things that we can work on ahead of the final."
With CD well ahead of everyone else on the run rate, Auckland had to win yesterday's match by a huge margin and hope that it would be enough for them to overtake ND and Canterbury and join the Stags in the final.
"While we got off to a good start, we didn't have guys going on and getting the 50s or 60s that they have in previous matches," How said.
"Even so, 180 was a reasonable score." "Pukekura Park can be a difficult ground to defend on and, given the position they were in, we always knew Auckland would come out swinging from the hip.
"They were able to hit quite a few in the middle and it was one of those days where their guys were able to get into a good rhythm."
Martin Guptill and Lou Vincent both made rapid-fire 50s and although the Stags pulled things back in the middle of the innings, the damage had been done.
Still, at least the boys live to fight another day.
"And it will be nice to be playing for a trophy, because it's been a couple of years since we won one," How said.
"They're the sort of thing you reflect back on when you hang the boots up and I know the boys are all looking forward to it." At one stage, because of difficulties with televising matches at Pukekura Park, Sunday's final was set to be played here at McLean Park. It's now definitely at New Plymouth.
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