Cricket: Richardson on the move

By RICHARD BOOCK

Test opener Mark Richardson has announced his transfer from Otago to Auckland, and with it plans to renew his push for a place in the New Zealand one-day side.

In one of the more extraordinary homecomings of recent international cricketers, the boy who fled to Otago as a disintegrating left-arm spinner is poised to return to Auckland as an established test batsman.

Richardson said there were a combination of reasons behind the shift, but did not deny that his ambition to play for the New Zealand one-day side featured prominently in his thinking.

"I want to play one-day cricket for New Zealand," he said yesterday, as he prepared to leave Dunedin to assemble with the test squad in Christchurch.

"It wasn't the only reason I decided to move, but I'm certainly looking forward to pushing my claims with Auckland.

"I've loved my time in Otago and consider it my 'other' home, but I'm excited about coming back to Auckland - hopefully, I'll do better than last time."

Sir Richard Hadlee's panel continued to overlook Richardson for the ODI side last summer, despite his Otago Shell Cup form realising an average of 50 at a strike-rate of 65, and despite the chaos evident in the New Zealand top-order.

Stranger still was the stance of his Otago coach Glenn Turner, who opposed his call-up on the grounds that his strike-rate was too low, and his overall capacity too limited.

Richardson said yesterday that it was true that he and Turner did not agree on a few issues involving one-day cricket, but said his desire to break into the international scene was still as great as ever.

"We disagreed on a few things," Richardson said. "But whatever your point of view I don't think my Shell Cup record can be faulted, and that's something that's been measured over a long period of time."

The 30-year-old left-hander has scored three Shell Cup centuries, more than any other player who has not been invited to play for NZ, and after 66 appearances can boast an average just above 35.

New Zealand Cricket's Player of the Year last season, he also proved a revelation on the test scene, scoring 710 runs at 54.61, including a maiden century against Pakistan at Hamilton.