Cricket: Auckland realistic, Canterbury coach cocky

By RICHARD BOOCK

As if their job was not difficult enough, Auckland have been dealt an unexpected blow on the eve of today's Shell Cup final against Canterbury.

Clear underdogs in the best-of-three series, Auckland's stocks received a late setback yesterday when it was revealed that a heel injury will probably force international paceman Chris Drum to miss today's match at Eden Park.

The 25-year-old right-armer performed usefully in the round-robin stages of the competition, taking 16 wickets at just over four runs an over, but seems set to be replaced by left-arm spinner Mark Haslam after aggravating his injury at practice.

His withdrawal is the latest in a chain of fitness problems for the Aces, who have already had to cope with injuries to Haslam, Richard Morgan, Kerry Walmsley, Llorne Howell and Adam Parore, not to mention Dion Nash, who is apparently under medical orders not to bowl during the series.

Whatever Auckland's feelings on the matter, however, the change might be felt just as keenly by the Canterbury batsmen, who lashed Drum for 60 runs in the 10th-round match last month as the defending champions strode to a four-wicket win.

Haslam, who broke a knuckle on his bowling hand early in the season, has not played during this season's Shell Cup, but has the experience of 28 career games and a one-day international under his belt and may well prove a useful option on the Eden Park pitch.

The wicket is the same one on which Auckland only just eclipsed Northern Districts' semifinal total of 150 last week, and although the surface looks a shade quicker and flatter now, it could be that another slow bowler will help, rather than hinder the Aces' cause.

Skipper Blair Pocock said his side understood the magnitude of their challenge, but refused to accept the result was a foregone conclusion and were looking forward to making the most of their chances.

"When it comes down to it, Canterbury are beatable," Pocock said yesterday. "They're a very good team and you have to be on top of your game to get the better of them, but it's not impossible, as Wellington showed during the round-robin."

Auckland folded for 149 in 45.5 overs when the teams first met, in Christchurch, this season, managed only a slight improvement while mustering 212 in the second match, and then scraped in by one wicket while chasing 150 in the semifinal, prompting changes in the batting order for today.

The selectors have handed the wicketkeeping gloves back to Lou Vincent and have dropped Reece Young in order to make room for former international batsman Howell, who played three matches earlier in the competition before being sidelined with an infected elbow.

Boosted by the presence of half-a-dozen internationals and gunning for their seventh Shell Cup title in nine seasons, Canterbury head into the finals as undisputed favourites, and judging by the comments of coach Garry MacDonald this week, are not expecting to need the third match.

"Auckland have a few areas of concern, I think, regarding their top-order batting and bowling," he said. "Their batting plan when they played us was not obvious to me. They've made changes and lack continuity.

"They'd really have to get their house in order better to beat us. We have to be the favourites and I expect us to play accordingly."

Auckland: Blair Pocock (captain), Aaron Barnes, Llorne Howell, John Aiken, Lou Vincent, Dion Nash, Tama Canning, Kyle Mills, Andre Adams, Brooke Walker, Mark Haslam, Richard King, Chris Drum.

Canterbury: Gary Stead (captain), Brad Doody, Nathan Astle, Stephen Fleming, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Gareth Hopkins, Carl Anderson, Warren Wisneski, Ryan Burson, Chris Martin.