Otago cricket is going through a tumultuous period in its history.
The departure of Black Caps left-armer Neil Wagner this weeks robs the bowling unit of its most experienced and prolific first-class seamer.
Veteran wicketkeeper Derek de Boorder’s decision to focus on life after cricket and pull out of the contracting process means the Volts are suddenly without a gloveman as well.
And there are more than just rumours another senior player is set to retire from first-class cricket. So where does that leave the Volts?
Well, it is tempting to lower our expectations and write off the next few seasons to development.
But there is reason to feel optimistic. As one person close to the team suggested, "things can’t get much worse".
That might seem glib but Otago was not exactly hitting it out of the park.
No-one needs reminding but the team came painfully close to completing the double triple — last in all three formats two years running.
A fifth-place finish in the Plunket Shield last season meant the team avoided that nasty statistic.
The blame got spread around. The coaching staff had a turn on the pan. The senior players got close to the flames as well. Even that old chestnut, team culture, took a roasting.
Actually, it had a lot more to do with the fact barely anyone scored any runs.
Fixing the batting will not be easy. De Boorder’s calming presence in the middle order will be sorely missed. He was often responsible for saving Otago blushes with some tenacious knocks.Then there is the vexed question of what they do with the captain.
Rob Nicol’s first-class season was abysmal. He did not look fully fit. He struggled with his technique and, frankly, never looked like scoring runs.
The Volts are going to have to recruit hard in that area. Hopefully, coach Rob Walter is on the phone right now talking to the next big thing and convincing him to shift south.
But Wagner’s departure might not be felt as acutely. Yes, he was a wonderful first-class bowler for the province during an impressive 10-year stint. But Otago has a promising crop of young seamers and Wagner’s absence will help ease the pressure the team was under to provide the likes of Warren Barnes, Matt Bacon, Jack Hunter and Nathan Smith with opportunities at first-class level.
Otago still has two quality spinners in Mark Craig and Michael Rippon, so the team really does have a nicely balanced attack. Teenage left-armer Ben Lockrose made his debut in a twenty20 match last season and is another player with a bright future.
If former international Jimmy Neesham can find the form of which we know he is capable, then the Volts can call on one of the best all-rounders in the country.
There is no reason why a team with that many bowling options should be languishing at the bottom of the standings.
The Volts are going through a painful transition period with players moving on. It is the end of an era but there are genuine opportunities for the next Craig Cumming or the next Mark Richardson. Both those players transferred south for a shot at more game time and flourished. That opportunity exists again now. It has been 30 years since Otago has won the Plunket Shield, so the team needs to do something differently.
It should embrace change, not fear it.
