Cricket: CD bring real zing to T20 final

Martin Guptill returns from New Zealand T20 duty to bolster Auckland. Photo / Greg Bowker

Central Districts will arrive brimming with confidence and the belief they will defend their domestic T20 title at Colin Maiden Park tomorrow.

With good reason too. After all, they have won five successive games to pick themselves up from a modest start and ended the round robin by securing their place in the final with a crunching win over, ahem, Auckland at Pukekura Park.

Tomorrow's venue is larger than the small but perfectly formed ground in New Plymouth and both sides will have international players back.

CD's captain, Jamie How, rates it a level playing field but reckons his team have "all bases covered".

"The advantage we might have is we've got spin, pace and batting depth," he said.

"We are very confident, but wary that it's on-the-day stuff for both teams."

One of the most telling aspects of CD's campaign has been the part played by their English pros, Ian Blackwell and Mike Yardy. Both left-arm spinners and handy batsmen, the pair have chipped in for a combined 21 cheap wickets and made handy runs.

Auckland have also had two imports for the duration - the unrelated Adams, Jimmy and Andre.

Is there some significance that they have made the final ahead of other teams who have had players clocking up air miles coming and going from Australia?

CD wanted two for the duration of the HRV Cup and when coach Alan Hunt opined before a ball was bowled that he would not swap Blackwell and Yardy, both former England internationals, for any other imports he knew what he was on about.

Not only have they performed on the park, How spoke of their contribution to the dressing room.

"We've gone in with a bit of pressure on our shoulders," Durham allrounder Blackwell said of Yardy and himself.

"We didn't know what to expect but I think we've fitted in pretty well.

"Other teams have gone for either opening batters or bowlers. You can be the quickest bowler in the world and still go round the park in T20. That doesn't guarantee you anything."

CD have Ross Taylor and Adam Milne back from the New Zealand T20 squad with Seth Rance and the injured Ben Wheeler dropping out.

Auckland get Martin Guptill and Kyle Mills for the final, while Andre Adams, their most successful bowler with 12 wickets at a cheap 13.91 apiece, returns after missing this week's game in New Plymouth.

Just as CD can talk of being on a roll, so Auckland can point to having lost just once in the competition before this week.

They have had several players make important contributions at various stages.

Michael Bates' death bowling, spinner Ronnie Hira with the ball and useful late hitting, Lou Vincent's late run into form with the bat and middle-order blaster Colin Munro piling in with important contributions midway through the campaign have all had an impact.

Players have spoken of the strong sense of togetherness among the group, which numbers 16 before being trimmed to 13 today.

"Everyone feels pretty good about their game and in the field we trust and back the ability of the person with bat or ball in hand," Hampshire opener Jimmy Adams said.

"That's a huge thing."

He talked of the adrenalin a big game produces and players lifting themselves for the occasion.

"But it's a fickle game. You try and keep pushing forward and improving and hope that when the final comes you can produce all-round performances from everyone."

The incentive is obvious, with the winner to progress to the Champions League in India. Otago and CD have been there, and failed to win a game in the past two years.

For the sake of spreading the involvement around the provinces, Auckland would be the preferred winner.

But they are going to need to come up with a top performance against a team playing with real zing at the right time of the competition.

TEAMS

HRV Cup final: Auckland v Central Districts, Colin Maiden Park, 2pm tomorrow

Auckland: (from) Gareth Hopkins (c), Martin Guptill, Colin de Grandhomme, Jimmy Adams, Lou Vincent, Anaru Kitchen, Dusan Hakaraia, Jimmy Neesham, Colin Munro, Andre Adams, Daryl Tuffey, Kyle Mills, Ronnie Hira, Michael Bates, Bhupinder Singh, Chris Martin.

CD: (from) Jamie How (c), Peter Ingram, George Worker, Ross Taylor, Ian Blackwell, Mike Yardy, Jacob Oram, Kieran Noema-Barnett, Doug Bracewell, Kruger van Wyk, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Michael Mason.

FINALS RECORD

* 2006: Canterbury bt Auckland by 6 wickets, Eden Park.

* 2007: Auckland bt Otago by 60 runs, Eden Park.

* 2008: CD bt ND by 5 wickets, New Plymouth.

* 2009: Otago bt Canterbury, washout, on better record, Dunedin.

* 2010: CD bt Auckland by 78 runs, New Plymouth.

ROAD TO THE FINAL

Auckland
* bt CD by 50 runs (h)
* lost to ND by 8 wickets (h)
* bt Otago by 8 runs (D/L) (a)
* bt Canterbury by 1 run (a)
* bt Wellington by 2 runs (a)
* v Otago washout (h)
* v Wellington washout (h)
* bt Canterbury by 12 runs (h)
* bt ND by 8 wickets (a)
* lost to CD by 8 wickets (a)

CD
* lost to Auckland by 50 runs (a)
* bt ND by 78 runs (a)
* lost to Wellington by 8 wickets (h)
* lost to Canterbury by 6 runs (h)
* bt Otago by 7 wickets (a)
* bt Canterbury by 3 runs (a)
* v Otago washout (h)
* bt ND by 6 wickets (h)
* bt Wellington by 29 runs (a)
* bt Auckland by 8 wickets (h)