Cricket: Gleam back in Auckland eyes

Auckland want more out of leading batsmen like Lou Vincent. Picture / Fotopress

Asked about his team's lame-duck effort in the one-day competition, Auckland coach Mark O'Donnell, quick as a flash, retorted: "What one-dayers?"

But bring the conversation around to the State Championship, and the gleam returns to his eye.

"I'm sure it will be easier for us to return to four-day mode than some of the others," said O'Donnell in preparing his team for today's fifth-round clash with Otago at Eden Park's outer oval.

"We had a good week off after we were out of the State Shield.

"The strip here at Eden Park is as good as any we have had and I'm sure that is a contributing factor to our results this season."

He would be looking for more of the same from his side, including top-order batsman Lou Vincent, who has been scoring freely.

Given Auckland's remarkable four-from-four outright wins and their massive 16-point lead, they could be forgiven if they dropped their guard.

Not so.

"There is no hint of complacency whatever," said O'Donnell.

"We lost to Otago down there last season so we know they won't be easy. Our attitude is to do as well as we can in every game and not even think about the points."

The southerners go into the match two points outside the top three and need at least first-innings points to claim a preferred spot for the last three rounds when the top three teams play the bottom three to find the top two for the five-day final in early April.

For Northern Districts, the scenario is different.

As one-day champions, they must refocus on the longer version and do all in their power to hold on to second place.

The under-achievers in last season's championship - they failed to win any of their eight matches - have had a reasonable start, but must adjust their thinking after a month away from four-day cricket.

"It's not too hard to switch. We want to play better four-day cricket," said coach Bruce Blair as he prepared to give his players a light workout in sweltering conditions in Gisborne yesterday.

"A couple of good wins would have us on course for a place in the final. We know we are without key players like Daryl Tuffey, Hamish Marshall, Daniel Vettori [with the Black Caps], Ian Butler and Matt Hart [injured] but we have to get on with it.

"There are a lot of youngsters - six players have made their ND debuts this summer - and oodles of enthusiasm."

They will need that - and a lot more - against an under-performing Canterbury side who venture on to the Harry Barker Reserve this morning with just eight of a possible 32 points and in last place.

While Butler has made a tentative return by playing a low-key Hawke Cup match with the hope he will soon have a clearance to reach a full head of steam, Hart is out for at least a couple of weeks with a groin strain.

On the better-news front, Bruce Martin plays his first representative game since being invalided out of the New Zealand A tour of South Africa almost six months ago.

With a couple of club matches behind him, Martin is confident he is over his injury and ready to show he remains among the country's better spin bowlers and second only to Vettori among the left-armers.

In today's other game, third-placed Wellington meet Central Districts in Napier in another key battle for a top-three spot.