NZ domestic T20 competition

By Adrian Seconi

The twenty20 tournament gets under way today and Otago will play Auckland in a repeat of last season’s final. Cricket writer Adrian Seconi takes a look at five key areas which may have an impact on the Volts’ prospects.

In the runsIf

Otago can take anything out of a disappointing start to the Plunket Shield campaign it would be that most of its batsmen have been in the runs. Hamish Rutherford and Brad Wilson have two hundreds apiece, while Neil Broom and Anaru Kitchen have also put a tick in that column this season. And Josh Finnie has been timing the ball well and is averaging of a touch more than 40. Broom is the senior statesmen in the side and the key wicket Otago’s opponents will be looking to remove quickly. He was dynamic last season with 299 runs at an average of 37.37.

Pressure point

Otago has struggled in the Plunket Shield, partly due to the lack of a quality slow bowlers. There is no Nathan McCullum this season, while Black Caps off-spinner Mark Craig is sidelined with a lower back complaint and there is no telling when he will return. Leg-spinner Rhys Phillips has been far too loose at first-class cricket to see much action in the twenty20 campaign, so that leaves Kitchen and Finnie to shoulder the responsibilities. It is a potential pressure point for the opposition. The slower bowlers are often the hardest to score off and Otago does not have a lot of options in that department.

Leadership

Rutherford will lead the Otago twenty20 side this season. He takes over from McCullum, who did an outstanding job with the twenty20 team last season. In the other formats, Otago often looked like it was struggling for ideas. But McCullum was able to pull all the right levers at all the right times to help get his side into the final. His bowling will also be sorely missed as well his athleticism in the field.

Spearheads

Fast bowler Warren Barnes has finally recovered from a stress fracture in his foot and is set to resume his career. He was a real find last season, taking 15 wickets and combining with Jacob Duffy to dismantle some of the best top orders in the country. Throw Neil Wagner into the mix and Otago can call on three quality seamers.

Key games

Otago’s opening fixture against Auckland will provide a good gauge of how the team is shaping up. The Volts have two games at Molyneux Park in late December and the first is against Canterbury. The Kings made the playoffs last season and have an impressive bowling line-up which includes Australian Ben Hilfenhaus. And a quirk of the draw means the Volts will have to play both games against Central Districts away from home. CD has an impressive batting line-up with former internationals Jesse Ryder and Mahela Jayawardene potentially presenting the biggest threats.