CRICKET - All eyes on block for ND match

NORTHERN Districts captain James Marshall can say with some confidence that his batsmen have form. But as his team line up to tackle Central Districts at Cobham Oval today the situation with his bowling attack is not quite so clear.
ND went down to Auckland in a remarkable game at Eden Park on Sunday, both teams surging past the 300-run milestone and making the most of the favourable batting conditions in Auckland.
But the fact that the ND attack were slapped about the outer oval at Eden Park at more than six runs an over will add some pressure when they face up to CD today.
Marshall was backing his bowlers today though, saying the conditions at Eden Park favoured the batsmen. Cobham Oval will be different.
"It was probably a little bit tough on them (the bowlers) getting into the first game of the season and that field (Eden Park) is hard to defend. We still scored 300 runs, so the batsmen will be confident but the bowling will need to be tighter for sure," Marshall said.
By slipping past the 300-run mark on Sunday, even though it was not enough to beat Auckland, the game today promises to be an entertaining affair.
CD arrive with opener Geoff Barnett in good touch, having banked a half century against Wellington on Sunday. Depending on the New Zealand test selection, CD's line-up could also - but is unlikely to - include Ross Taylor and Jamie How.
The CD bowling is not so potent, former Jamaican fast bowler Evan McInnis spearheading the attack along with Mitchell McClenaghan.
The ND seam bowling attack will be spearheaded by Northlander Tim Southee and Graeme Arlidge.
The state of the wicket at Cobham Oval should prove critical. Last season the wicket had an unpredictable bounce and carry, which impacted on the result of Twenty20 and one-day fixtures against Canterbury.
But since then the block has been the main focus of attention for the Cobham Oval grounds staff.
"When it comes to the wicket we can really only go on last year's history and it was a touch slow and a touch spongy and momentum was hard to get," Marshall said.
"But I am pretty relaxed about how the wicket will play, I am quite sure it will be a fair wicket and I think Cobham Oval will be an easier ground to defend than Eden Park was."
The game will be the second round of the State Shield 50-over series.
ND meet Wellington in round three at Cobham Oval on Sunday.