Cricket: Losses don't take wind from Sail

By TERRY MADDAFORD

With 42 points available to his side in seven remaining Shell Trophy matches, Auckland cricket coach Tony Sail is not pressing the panic button just yet.

But he admits the none-from-three start to the season is disappointing.

Auckland's latest loss came when they were cleaned out by Otago at Eden Park on Friday by six wickets.

"We have been in a position to win all three games, but have let ourselves down at crucial times," Sail said. "Sure, the players are disappointed at their efforts, but they are aware of the problems and know they have played badly at times."

Sail said the second XI game in Wellington this week would give some players a chance to press for a spot in the next trophy match, against Northern Districts at Eden Park starting on January 2.

"The batsman lower in the order are not showing enough steel under pressure and that has left us 70 runs short of playing ourselves into a winning position," Sail said. "With those extra runs we could have applied real pressure.

"We are also missing two key players, in Kyle Mills and Brooke Walker.

"While Mills should be back for the next Shell Cup game, on December 27, and for the matches after that, I think Walker is likely to be required for New Zealand.

"Sure, a couple of dropped catches haven't helped, but really there can be no excuses when you have twice been bowled out for 150 and a couple of times for 200. You can't win matches with scores like that."

Sail has obviously taken some heart from his team's flying start in the Shell Cup, though they were soundly beaten by Otago yesterday, but put those efforts in perspective.

"You can get up and win in the shorter game, but the four-day game exposes your inadequacies. That's what we have to work on. It's difficult for a team who won four from five last season to reach the final to accept none from three. They know they are better than that."

Auckland will be back for training at Eden Park tomorrow and again on Boxing Day.

Sail said Blair Pocock's captaincy ability was not in question, but his position at the top of the batting order was, along with others, under scrutiny.

In other trophy matches, which ended on Saturday, Wellington shrugged off the frustration of a stop-start affair at the Basin Reserve to complete a comfortable outright victory over Central Districts, and Canterbury took first-innings points over Northern Districts.