Club cricket but only as a select few know it

The administrative arm of Cricket Wellington is well underway with its plans to restructure club cricket.

It seems to be a well-kept secret though, with some members of the organisation having to sit, wait and wonder what sort of competition they’ll be left with from which to pick players for the Firebirds.

Asked what input he was having into the eventual shape of the Pearce Cup, CW high performance coach Shane Deitz said none.

Even with the eight teams the competition boasts now, Deitz said it was ‘‘near impossible’’ to identify and develop players.

You don’t have to be Einstein to work out that if the number of Pearce Cup clubs is increased to 10 or even 12, there’ll be more chaff and even less wheat for Deitz to sort through.

Deitz was diplomatic about the existing standard of club cricket and the level of input he’s been given in terms of what it will look like next summer.

It would be fair to say the hit, giggle and a few beers afterwards, which we have now, is not what he’d prefer the competition to be.

‘‘It’s got to be the place where young guys can start their careers and get the right coaching and facilities and experience to reach their goals of playing for New Zealand. That’s the first stepping stone and they need good senior players to help them,’’ Deitz said.

‘‘Clubs are also where you start your cricket and learn a lot about yourself as a bloke and if it’s left to us, as first-class coaches, it’s a bit late.’’

The Dempster Shield was introduced this summer, with mixed results. Although Deitz believes the concept was sound.

‘‘I was hoping we’d get cricket where instead of the two good players per side you get in club cricket, there were 11 good players on one side and 11 good players on the other,’’ he said. ‘‘That way you can really tell if a guy’s getting put under pressure for three hours, with the bat, rather than just during one spell from one bowler.

‘‘That’s the problem with trying to identify players [now]. It’s really hard to tell who can withstand that pressure for a sustained period of time.’’

‘‘Definitely. New team and new expectations that have been put on me by other people. Just a whole different scenario of cricket,’’ he said.

For instance, having spent the bulk of his career keeping to bowlers on the quick WACA wicket, Ronchi said simple things like knowing how far back to stand to the Wellington medium-pacers would take time to work out.

With the bat, he is likely to slot in at six or seven in a Firebirds team which contains a few changes from the one which drew against Northern Districts. With Mark Gillespie on international duty for the Black Caps, previous 12th man Scott Kuggeleijn will open the bowling with Andy Mckay.

Luke Woodcock returns to join Ronchi in the middle order, with Craig Cachopa dropping out. Batsman Michael Pollard will probably carry the drinks.