Cricket: Rain may force selectors to rethink

Auckland coach Paul Strang. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The rained-off weekend's cricket may prompt a change in thinking for the Auckland selectors ahead of naming their side to play Pakistan at Colin Maiden Park on Thursday.

With both Auckland's HRV Cup games against Otago and Wellington rubbed out by the deluge - meaning two points apiece from each game - there could be a readjustment of their plans for the Pakistani game.

First they must beat Canterbury on the same ground tomorrow to keep their noses in front of Northern Districts - who host Wellington tomorrow - at the head of the table, but then there's five days off before their penultimate game against Otago in Alexandra.

Auckland might have considered giving some players the day off against Pakistan to keep them fresh. However the lack of activity over Saturday and yesterday could bring a change in philosophy.

"We're focusing on Tuesday but from the medium-term perspective we've also got half an eye on that Pakistan game. That's about keeping the guys playing," Auckland coach Paul Strang said yesterday.

He has received no directive from New Zealand Cricket about whether they would prefer the international players, such as batsman Martin Guptill, wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins and new ball bowler Kyle Mills, to rest or play ahead of the start of the T20 internationals at Eden Park on Boxing Day.

"The fact we've lost two games to rain may change whatever strategies we might have had, but we're going in with an open mind," Strang said.

The team to play Pakistan is likely to be named today.

There is a temptation to dust off the calculators as the end of the T20 round robin approaches for those teams in finals contention.

However Strang won't have a bar of that thinking.

"That's a huge danger in the second half of competitions, if you start looking a little too far ahead, rather than on focusing on each game as it comes," he said.

"That's the point we have been stressing to the team; just keep doing what you have been."

Auckland had been travelling well until the rain arrived, with four wins from five games.

Defending champions Central Districts made valuable ground with their last-ball, three-run win over Canterbury in a 10-over slog in Christchurch yesterday.

Chasing CD's 73 for eight - and they had been 11 for five - former Auckland batsman/wicketkeeper Reece Young needed a four off the final ball, from veteran Michael Mason, but instead was run out.

Auckland and ND are far from out of the woods in terms of the chasers.

Auckland spent the afternoon training at Eden Park after the Wellington match was abandoned. "It's all about keeping the boys up, keeping them confident, training as much as we can," Strang added.

The equation is simple for the teams: the top two make the final. There's no semifinals.

Only winless Otago are completely out of the frame, and it's mathematically possible, but a tall order, for Wellington to make the January 2 final.

POINTS

* Auckland - 20 (played seven)
* ND - 18 (six)
* CD - 12 (six)
* Canterbury - 12 (six)
* Wellington - 10 (six)
* Otago - 4 (seven)