Cricket: Coaches facing contrasting challenges

Auckland coach Paul Strang. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Paul Strang and Bob Carter hold down the same job description but the tasks ahead of them could not be more different heading into the Plunket Shield cricket season.

The national four-day competition rolls into action tomorrow at three venues, with Strang and Carter facing contrasting challenges.

Strang is coaching defending champions Auckland, who would like nothing more than to back up last summer's success, while Carter is at the helm of a Canterbury side keen to make amends after finishing last in 2008-09 without a win to their name.

The revamped and renamed competition will be played over a full 10 rounds this season, as opposed to the eight rounds plus final of last summer.

The withdrawal of sponsorship naming rights support has led New Zealand Cricket to dust off the Plunket Shield, which will be awarded to the winners for the first time since 1974-75.

The history of the shield, which was first competed for in 1906, has been raised by Strang in pre-season talks with his players.

"A lot of today's guys grew up hearing and reading about the Plunket Shield. I have thrown that into the motivational side of things," he said.

"It really would be nice to keep the State trophy and be the first to win the shield in 35 years."

Strang inherited the Auckland job midway through last summer and was in control when they made their late season surge to the top of the standings before outplaying Central Districts in the final.

They have undergone a number of changes since then, with wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins taking over the captaincy from Richard Jones.

They are without seam bowlers Chris Martin and Andy McKay, who have departed to Canterbury and Wellington, respectively, while batsman Rob Nicol has joined Martin in Christchurch.

As well, Colin de Grandhomme, who averaged 51 in 2008-09 and chipped in with valuable wickets with his medium pacers, will miss the opening three rounds at least as he rests a knee injury.

Balancing that, former England international Ravi Bopara has arrived and is keen to play the first four rounds of the shield season ahead of the Twenty20 and one-day competitions.

Aside from Bopara, much interest will centre on the continuing development of Tarun Nethula, a 26-year-old legspinner coming off a highly promising rookie season.

Nethula took 25 wickets at an average of 35 in 2008-09 despite his home ground at Eden Park No 2 heavily favouring the batsmen. Auckland's home matches are now being played at Colin Maiden Park as Eden Park undergoes its rugby World Cup redevelopment.

Strang, a former Zimbabwe legspinner, is taking a particular interest in Nethula and likes what he sees.

Strang stressed no legspinner could operate in isolation and Nethula was helped last summer by heavy scoring from Auckland's batsmen.

"He is an up and comer. I am really happy with the progress he has made," Strang said.

"He is a very confident guy but he also understands where he is at and where he is trying to get to.

"Last summer we had a batting side which put up some decent totals on the board. That means he could bowl with more confidence to more attacking fields.

"But he got it in the right place, he turned the ball and he did all that was asked of him."

Carter's Canterbury squad have a settled look, with batsman Darren Broom's move to Otago the only notable off-season shift.

But they will be without tall fast bowler Hamish Bennett for at least the first three rounds as he overcomes a back injury.

Bennett's temporary absence is compensated by the return of Martin and fellow international fast bowler Shane Bond, who Carter will employ when their international commitments allow.

As well, Canterbury have a new specialist spinner in Jason Donnelly, originally from Auckland, who has settled in Christchurch after a spell playing at state second 11 level for South Australia.

"We really struggled last season. We had our opportunities but we just couldn't take them," Carter said.

"We didn't manage to bowl teams out twice. That was a contributing factor. Hopefully we will put that right this year.

"It was important that we try to improve on our squad and I feel we have done that. Hopefully, now that we have done that we can produce some good results."

Auckland begin their title defence tomorrow in Napier against Central Districts, while Wellington host Canterbury and Otago play Northern Districts in Dunedin.

- NZPA