Last year Otago claimed the domestic twenty/20 title and with it came an invitation to compete in the lucrative Champions League in India.
The Volts barely fired a shot and lost both their pool matches, leaving with only a small portion of the $US6 million ($NZ8.3 million) on offer.
Obviously, they are keen to return - not only to put in a better showing on a global stage, but to bring home a bigger slice of the prizemoney.
The five other major associations have also put a ring around the month of January.
The domestic schedule has been given a makeover and the new centrepiece is the HRV Cup.
The tournament gets under way with a televised match between Auckland and Northern Districts in Mt Maunganui today and culminates with the final on January 31.
In four short years, the twenty/20 tournament has gone from an afterthought to the main event.
The fixtures no longer serve as warm-ups for the one-dayers and are not tacked on at the end of a road trip.
Unlike Plunket Shield matches, you cannot count the crowd on the fingers on one hand.
In South Africa, England and India the shortened version has helped revitalise a game that was getting stale, and people are flocking to games.
Fans do not have to pack a lunch, ask the neighbour to feed the cat or turn off the hot water, because twenty/20 is over in less than three action-packed hours.
In these so-called time-poor days, that appeals to families.
Cricket has been brought kicking and screaming into the 21st century and New Zealand Cricket will be hoping the HRV Cup proves to be the tonic the game needs.
January is typically the time of year New Zealand goes on holiday so the timing could not be better.
There are no inbound tours so the country's elite players are available, and most of the associations have shelled out for overseas players.
England internationals Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara are playing for Wellington and Auckland respectively, Sri Lankan dasher Tillakaratne Dilshan is suiting up for Northern Districts.
Punishing all-rounder Graham Napier will play for Central Districts and Pakistan bowling all-rounder Yasir Arafat has thrown his kit bag in with Otago.
Canterbury's import quota is full with South Africans Kruger van Wyk and Johann Myburgh in the squad but former Black Cap Craig McMillan is returning.
Otago dominated the tournament last season but a less than impressive start in the one-day tournament has raised questions about its ability to back up.
The Volts have won just one of their four matches and are in danger of missing the play-offs.
In Otago's defence, some key personnel have been absent.
Nathan McCullum has just returned after more than a month on the sidelines with a muscle strain and it is hoped opener Aaron Redmond will return in time for Otago's home match against Wellington on January 10.
Arafat is yet to make his mark and the Volts will be hoping for more from the international.
Last season big-hitting England all-rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas played a large part in Otago's success.
However, batsmen Neil Broom and Craig Cumming have been in fine touch, and with Brendon McCullum in the side Otago has the ace in the pack.
He can destroy bowling attacks and is a proven match-winner.
Ditto, Ross Taylor.
The Central Districts slugger has built a reputation as one of the best twenty/20 batsmen in the world.
Taylor is in a talented line-up which includes Jacob Oram, Jamie How, Peter Ingram, Mathew Sinclair and Napier.
Scoring runs should not be a problem, stopping them might be an issue.
Impressive speedster Mitchell McClenaghan is recovering from a stress fracture in his back and Brendon Diamanti is struggling with a shoulder injury.
Experienced duo Michael Mason and Ewen Thompson have done a sterling job spearheading the attack so far, but Central will have to manage its bowling stocks carefully.
Northern Districts failed to win a match last season but it has the best bowling attack in the country and, with Tillakaratne Dilshan bolstering the batting line-up in mid January, cannot be discounted.
At full-strength Wellington is a very useful side, but injuries to Mark Gillespie, James Franklin and Jesse Ryder, and Iain O'Brien's departure to the UK, have hampered its chances.
Canterbury has a quality bowler in Chris Martin and McMillan should add some pizzazz to the batting.
Coach Bob Carter will be keeping his fingers crossed Black Caps face bowler Shane Bond recovers from his abdominal strain.
Auckland has set the pace in the one-day tournament and has a good mix of experienced players like Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, Kyle Mills and Bopara, and the youthful exuberance of promising opener Jeet Raval and Black Caps top-order batsman Martin Guptill.
Twenty/20
The squads
• Auckland
Last summer: Third
Key player: England international Ravi Bopara has made a fine start to his New Zealand summer and will need to carry that form into the twenty/20 tournament.
Squad: Michael Bates, Andrew de Boorder, Ravi Bopara (overseas), Colin De Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Roneel Hira, Gareth Hopkins, Richard Jones, Anaru Kitchen, Tim McIntosh, Kyle Mills, Greg Morgan, Tarun Nethula, Jeet Raval, Lance Shaw, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, Reece Young.
• Northern Districts
Last summer: Sixth
Key player: Sri Lankan master blaster Tillakaratne Dilshan is rated one of the most damaging batsmen in world cricket.
Squad: Graeme Aldridge, Brent Arnel, Trent Boult, Te Ahu Davis, Tillakaratne Dilshan (overseas), Daniel Flynn, James Marshall, Bruce Martin, Peter McGlashan, Michael Parlane, Bradley Scott, Tim Southee, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson, Brad Wilson, Daniel Vettori, Joseph Yovich.
• Central Districts
Last summer: Fifth
Key player: At the top of his game, Blacks Caps all-rounder Jacob Oram can find the boundary at will. So can English import Graham Napier.
Squad: Doug Bracewell, Marc Calkin, Brendon Diamanti, James de Terte, Bevan Griggs, Jamie How, Peter Ingram, Jeremy Kuru, Mitchell McClenaghan, Michael Mason, Graham Napier (overseas), Jacob Oram, Brad Patton, Mathew Sinclair, Kieran Noema-Barnett, Seth Rance, Ross Taylor, Ewen Thompson, Tim Weston, George Worker.
• Wellington
Last summer: Fourth
Key player: England international Owais Shah is an experienced campaigner and quality top-order batsman.
Squad: Matthew Bell, Harry Boam, Dewayne Bowden, Josh Brodie, BJ Crook, Grant Elliott, James Franklin, Mark Gillespie, Paul Hitchcock, Andy McKay, Cameron Merchant, Chris Nevin, Neal Parlane, Jeetan Patel, Jesse Ryder, Robbie Schaw, Owais Shah (overseas), Luke Woodcock.
• Canterbury
Last summer: Second
Key player: Fast bowler Shane Bond has retired from test cricket and will be keen to land a lucrative Indian Premier League contract. Watch out for lethal yorkers.
Squad: Corey Anderson, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Shane Bond, Leighton Burtt, Jason Donnelly, Andrew Ellis, Peter Fulton, Carl Frauenstein, Chris Harris, Brandon Hiini, Ryan McCone, Craig McMillan, Chris Martin, Johann Myburgh, Rob Nicol, Michael Papps, Shanan Stewart, Kruger van Wyk.
• Otago
Last summer: Champion
Key player: Short boundaries and domestic bowling attacks will not keep Brendon McCullum up at night. Expect fireworks from the Black Caps gloveman.
Squad: Yasir Arafat (overseas), Nick Beard, Derek de Boorder, Darren Broom, Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Craig Cumming, Shaun Haig, Mat Harvie, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, James McMillan, Warren McSkimming, Leighton Morgan, Aaron Redmond, Hamish Rutherford, Greg Todd, Neil Wagner, Sam Wells.
