Otago’s T20 season goes from super to smashed
The Volts made a positive start to the Super Smash but slipped off the pace and are anchored towards the bottom of the standings. Cricket writer Adrian Seconi reviews the failed campaign ahead of their final T20 against Northern Districts in Mt Maunganui tonight.
Handbrake
Otago had so much momentum after reaching the final of the oneday tournament and winning its first two Super Smash games. So what went wrong? The opposition got a lot better for a start. The Volts’ first defeat came on a sticky wicket at Molyneux Park. They lost to a Northern Districts team featuring nine past, present or future Black Caps. When they played the Knights at Lincoln during the oneday tournament, they had two former internationals and one future one. More than 30 of New Zealand’s best players were absent during the Ford Trophy due to national or New
Zealand A commitments. That proved really helpful for the Volts, who only had to make do without Hamish Rutherford for part of the campaign. Unfortunately, it also masked some of the issues which were revealed against better quality opponents.
Fire power
You have to scroll down a fair way to find an Otago batsman among the leading scorers in the competition. Anaru Kitchen is the first familiar name you come across and he was in 10th place with 196 runs at an average 28. The big three of Rutherford, Neil Broom and Kitchen had a useful rather than a remarkable campaign. The Volts needed them to be remarkable.
Import mix
If you are going to fly players over from the United Kingdom to boost your side, you have to be sure those players are going to make an impact and are better than the players already in the squad. Not sure Otago can say it got that right. English gloveman Ben Cox is a brilliant keeper but do you need a brilliant keeper in T20? Aren’t you better off with batsman who might fumble a few but can clout the ball over the rope? Think Tim Seifert. And allrounder Ben Raine was a flop. He was overlooked for selection last weekend and has missed out again today. The Volts eventually came to the conclusion contracted player Christi Viljoen offered the team more than Raine.
Underachievers
Cricket is a brutal game and there is no hiding from the statistics. Some very seasoned observers speak warmly of Josh Finnie and he had his moments in the oneday tournament. But the 22yearold is in a lean run. He has scored just 43 runs in seven innings at an average of 7.16. That ought to get you dropped but he actually got promoted in the order last weekend. Shawn Hicks was one of Otago’s most productive batsmen last season but he is failing in all three formats. Josh TasmanJones has had three bats and scored seven runs. Seamer Jack Hunter has one for 103 but most of the bowlers have struggled. Jacob Duffy (11), Viljoen (10) and Nathan Smith (7) have combined to take 28 wickets an an average of 23 which is decent. The other eight bowlers used have combined for six for 113.16.