Andrew Alderson: Going down a Plunket Shield rabbit hole

Entering a Plunket Shield ground can be like walking through a wardrobe into Narnia or dropping down a rabbit hole into Wonderland. Photo:Andrew Alderson

Go to a Plunket Shield match if you're seeking to drift into an idyllic parallel universe this summer.

Auckland and Northern Districts treated this writer, a handful of Hamilton Boys' High School students, and a smattering of middle-aged picnic-wielders to a riveting day's cricket on Wednesday at Seddon Park.

Watching seven players from the test squad duel with a host of future contenders provided some of the best value for no money in New Zealand sport.

Entering the ground conjures up the sort of surreality one might associate with walking through a wardrobe into Narnia or falling down a rabbit hole into Wonderland.

Outside, Hamilton hums about its daily business; inside, the serenity is punctuated by bat hitting ball and the odd soundbite of appeal or applause.

A narcissist sitting alone in the media box might be tempted to think the match had been put on for their personal benefit.

Yet so much rode on the performances of players who will form the majority of New Zealand's side for the four tests this summer.

Their immersion back into the first-class game from limited overs matches in India is vital if test cricket is to remain the pinnacle of the sport in this country.

Therein lies a disconnect. So few turned up to watch on Wednesday, admittedly when most people are working, yet the country's test game would dismantle without such a structured competition.

Fortunately for those who can't be there - especially with radio commentary pared back to hourly studio-based updates these days - New Zealand Cricket maintain a comprehensive website with video access to wickets and boundaries from the digital scoreboard.

However, the ebb and flow at the ground provides the best experience. There were so many avenues of discovery across the day.

1. Auckland's Ben Lister looks a promising bowler. He took five wickets for 29 runs from 15 overs in a display of controlled left-arm pace bowling which belied the fact it was his second first-class match.

The 21-year-old's wickets comprised five of ND's top seven batsmen, including New Zealand captain Kane Williamson playing his first Plunket Shield match since October 2015.

2. Mitchell Santner eked out 55 from 138 balls as he pursues the test all-rounder tag. His patience was key after coming to the wicket at 15 for two with the ball moving on and off the pitch.

3. BJ Watling decided not to keep as he recovers from a hip injury. His appearance at first slip was worth a second glance with the visibility of just five digits across two hands. The other half were bandaged.

4. Strike bowlers Tim Southee and Tim Boult got decent spells into their legs but could not coax any Auckland wickets from the first 20 overs.

5. Opener Jeet Raval anchored the Auckland innings, eventually scoring 37 from 78 balls in a 70-run opening stand with Michael Guptill-Bunce.

On a basic level, many of those facts are evident on a scorecard, but not nuances such as how a bowler like Lister worked to a plan or a batsman like Santner exercised patience.

Those can only be gleaned from watching the action live.

The Plunket shield runs at a financial loss. Revenue from sponsorship cannot compete with the cost of paying players, coaching staff, umpires, scorers and groundsmen across a 10-round season.

However, the opportunity cost of not having a competition whose history stretches back 110 years is that the strength of New Zealand's test game and the development of players at all levels will dilute.

The first four rounds of this year's Plunket Shield has been packed with quality. Long may that continue if Wednesday's exposition was a gauge.