New Zealand's Twenty20 showpiece, the HRV Cup, could become more of an international competition next year - with some of the world's best short-format players on view - if the cricket planets align before the World Cup.
''We weren't ourselves'' Otago coach Vaughn Johnson lamented shortly after Northern Districts held aloft the HRV Cup.
Otago have made a good start to the defence of their domestic T20 title, beating Canterbury by 47 runs in Christchurch last night.
It was not perfect, but it was the perfect finish.
People deal with victory very differently. Otago all-rounder Ian Butler leapt down the pitch and punched the air in delight.
Three generations of the May family travelled to Dunedin from Timaru and Oamaru to watch Otago beat Wellington in the HRV Cup final yesterday.
When three of your top four batsmen are dismissed without scoring you're always going to find it tough to post enough runs and that was the case for the Wellington Firebirds in today's HRV Cup final.
From the moment Jacob Duffy was first sighted in Otago colours, there seemed to be something a bit special about the kid.
Fourteen minutes was all Jesse Ryder needed to dazzle the crowd at the Basin Reserve this afternoon.
Otago have sneaked home with a last-ball win over Canterbury in their HRV Cup match in Dunedin tonight.
Ian Butler provided the late heroics to get Otago home over CD in their HRV Cup match in New Plymouth today.
It is not how you start but how you finish in twenty/20 cricket.
A bridal party turned up at Pukekura Park today for their wedding photos and they would have also seen Central Districts claim their first win of the HRV Cup Twenty20 competition with a 43-run defeat of Northern Districts.
The Auckland Aces are again the kings of Twenty20 cricket, after crushing the Canterbury Wizards by 44 runs today to win their second straight HRV Cup.
Brendon McCullum ensured the Otago Volts finished their HRV Cup campaign in style tonight, blasting a century to lead his side to a nine-wicket win over the Northern Knights at Hamilton's Seddon Park.
If you were a statistician at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth today you would have earned your money as records kept tumbling in a remarkable Twenty20 match between Central Districts and Wellington.
The Northern Knights will play the Otago Volts in their final HRV Twenty20 game without the services of West Indian allrounder Chris Gayle, but coach Grant Bradburn said today they were close to signing him.
It was only meant to be a dress rehearsal for the T20 domestic final but nobody gave Canterbury the script.
Otago's chances of reaching the HRV Cup final have gone after they were beaten comprehensively by the Auckland Aces in Dunedin today.
Otago had the life squeezed out of it yesterday and must now hope its entire twenty/20 campaign does not suffer the same fate.
