KEY POINTS:
Auckland coach Mark O'Donnell reckons if there's one domestic title the teams will really fancy it is the Twenty20 crown.
Win it, and there's the likelihood of an invitation to the Champions League in India this year, which gives players who are usually restricted to playing in New Zealand the chance to taste international competition.
"We all start from scratch," O'Donnell said as Auckland look to put an ordinary State Shield one-day campaign - in which they won just three out of 10 games - behind them.
"We've really enjoyed it, and we've done reasonably well in the Twenty20 in the last couple of years."
Last season four teams finished level, with run rate deciding the finalists, where Central Districts beat ND.
O'Donnell scoffs at those who reckon the shortest form of the game is little more than a slogathon, pointing to bowlers' increased intelligence in terms of more slower deliveries and increased variety to keep the batsmen guessing.
"It has its own special skills and you require more than just hitting it out of the park," he added.
Auckland hope ODI international Scott Styris might be fit for the second-round game against CD at Pukekura Park on Friday, after a lengthy layoff with a broken thumb.
Luke Vivian makes his Auckland debut today while wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins was due back from Melbourne last night where he was with the New Zealand squad.
Auckland will also face shield champions ND without three important bowling options. Allrounder Rob Nicol is unavailable, Paul Hitchcock has a heel injury and fast-medium Daryl Tuffey won't play as his eligibility is being clarified.
Tuffey plays for the Indian Cricket League, which is viewed by rival Indian Premier League officials as one step removed from the plague. As the IPL run the Champions League, they lay down the regulations.
So Tuffey and Canterbury's veteran Chris Harris need clearances to play, otherwise their provinces risk being prevented from contesting the Champions League, should they win the New Zealand title.
ND have retained the same 12 who won the shield final last Saturday.
In the other two opening-round games, Otago play Canterbury at University Oval in Dunedin and CD play Wellington in Napier.
New Zealand's involvement in Friday's second IPL auction is down to three players after the latest cull from officials.
Originally having listed 111 players as candidates for the auction for the second IPL starting on April 10, they have slashed the field of hopefuls to 43.
Nine New Zealand players were contenders, but only Kyle Mills, Jesse Ryder and James Franklin made the cut. Those to drop out are batsmen Peter Fulton and Jamie How, offspinner Jeetan Patel, and fast-medium men Mark Gillespie, Chris Martin and Tim Southee.
Mills has a reserve price of US$150,000, Ryder is at US$100,000 and allrounder Franklin US$50,000.
The top listed player is England batsman Kevin Pietersen with a whopping US$1.35 million base bidding price, followed by Australian Michael Clarke at US$1 million, and England allrounder Andrew Flintoff at US$950,000.
AUCKLAND V NORTHERN DISTRICTS
Eden Park, 5pm today
Auckland: Richard Jones (c), David Houpapa, Anaru Kitchen, Reece Young, Luke Vivian, Gareth Hopkins, Steven Croft, Colin de Grandhomme, Ronnie Hira, Azhar Abbas, Greg Morgan, Chris Martin (one to be omitted).
Northern Districts: James Marshall (c), BJ Watling, Hamish Marshall, Michael Parlane, Kane Williamson, Daniel Flynn, Peter McGlashan, Joseph Yovich, Graeme Aldridge, Bruce Martin, Bradley Scott, Brent Arnel.
