Win ‘would be my proudest moment in cricket’
NEIL Broom is the only survivor from the last Otago team to host a oneday final and his memory is pretty sketchy.
But the experienced righthander is certain about one thing — if the Volts win the Ford Trophy final against Wellington on Saturday it will be a career highlight.
That is saying something, considering the 35yearold has played international cricket and been part of some tremendous Otago teams throughout the years.
The 200708 oneday championship team sticks out and the 15game winning streak in twenty20 cricket in 201213 was another memorable achievement. There were a couple of trips to India for the Champions League as well.
But a win on Saturday would trump it all for the 15year veteran.
‘‘I’m pretty pumped up and it is still three or four days out,’’ Broom said.
‘‘It would be a great story, wouldn’t it? It would be my proudest moment in cricket if we get over the line.’’
Really?
‘‘Easy. Just from where we’ve come from to where we are.
‘‘The boys have really turned it around from the last couple of years and it is just a great feeling to be part of it, actually.’’
The Volts started the season poorly with backbackback losses in the firstclass competition. But with Broom and experienced batsman Anaru Kitchen rejoining the squad for the limitedovers formats, the team is a lot stronger.
Broom has scored some key runs and made a couple of cracking runouts as well.
The Volts have had to battle to win most of the seven games they have won and that reflects the team’s tenacity.
They are winning the sort of games they were losing last season and Broom reckons a good portion of it is down to the team just enjoying their cricket more.
‘‘I think the group is pretty tight and we are really enjoying other people’s successes. I’m not sure that was the case last year because it was hard to get a win in the first place and there was nothing to feed off.’’
Broom said the team was closer off the park than in previous seasons and he put that down to Mark Craig, Nathan Smith and Jacob Duffy, who ‘‘put it on themselves to lead the group off the park’’.
‘‘I think their contribution has been massive as well as the coaches.’’
You cannot hit the ball for four or six armed just with culture, though. And one of the main differences for Otago this season has been the effort with the bat.
The team has stayed in games longer by preserving wickets at the top. Broom, while he has not posted a monster score this season, has been a key contributor to that game plan.
That base has allowed the likes of Josh Finnie, Michael Rippon and Christi Viljoen to close the innings with the confidence the team has runs in the bank.
Otago has also found ways to win the game with the ball as well. Duffy and Matt Bacon have been the main wickettakers, but Smith has been terrific at the death.
‘‘If you want to get to the finals in a competition, everyone has to pull their weight.
‘‘But it is different when you go out there with a confident batting order and everyone is hitting the ball well.’’
❛ I’m pretty pumped up and it is still three or
four days out
DUBAI: Legspinner Yasir Shah’s match haul of 14 wickets earned Pakistan victory against New Zealand by an innings and 16 runs in the second test which finished early yesterday.
After a careerbest eight for 41 to help dismiss the Black Caps for 90, Shah grabbed six for 143 as the Black Caps followed on and were all out for 312 after tea on the fourth day in reply to Pakistan’s first innings of 418 for five.
In doing so he equalled the Pakistan record for wickets in a test with fast bowler Imran Khan, who achieved his feat in 1982 against Sri Lanka in Lahore.
Shah now has 22 wickets in the series, and needs five more to reach 200 in his career. They should come in Abu Dhabi, where the teams return for the third test and series decider from Monday and where New Zealand won the first test by four runs.
Ross Taylor (82), Henry Nicholls (77) and Tom Latham (50) led New Zealand’s resistance, but the damage was done in the first innings.
‘‘We batted better in the second innings, but that session yesterday when Yasir put us under tremendous pressure and put the ball in the right areas (did us in),’’ captain Kane Williamson said.
‘‘He is an exceptional bowler, and it’s important we learn some lessons quickly.’’ ,
The Black Caps, forced to follow on, resumed on 131 for two and Taylor and Latham were out in the first session.
Latham was contentiously adjudged caught behind off Hasan Ali soon after completing his halfcentury. After lasting for 158 deliveries and hitting four boundaries, his dismissal ended an 80run, thirdwicket stand with Taylor.
Taylor completed his half cen tury off 54 balls when he drove Hasan through the point boundary off the first ball of the day, but he was dismissed after a reckless sweep, half an hour before lunch, and topedged offspinner Bilal Asif to deep backward square leg.
New Zealand reached 222 for four at lunch, but Shah then trapped BJ Watling on 27 off the second new ball after the interval.
Hasan returned to take the wicket of Colin de Grandhomme after he went for a pull shot and played on to the fast bowler on 14.
Ish Sodhi also gave his wicket away when he tried to sweep Shah, missed the line of the ball and was clean bowled for four.
Nicholls was undone four overs after tea by Hasan’s sharp delivery which nipped back into the lefthander to knock back the off stump.
Shah wrapped up the innings soon after by claiming the wickets of Neil Wagner and Trent Boult. Hasan finished the innings with three for 46. — AP