William Young was the toast of last summer. Photo / Paul Taylor
William Young has a simple approach to changing from the shorter form of the game to four-day cricket - take your time and get your eye in.
"Batting wise, it's about getting yourself in, getting yourself set and bat for as long as you like [because] you don't have any time constraints," said Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags' rookie captain Young yesterday.
He was speaking before his team host Sky City Northern Districts Knights at McLean Park, Napier, as round four of the Budget Rental Plunket Shield resumes with six rounds to follow.
"It's about building an innings but that's just one facet because you've still got to bowl the opposition out twice in four days to win a game," said the 23-year-old, who was the toast of CD last summer although he hastened to add it was a new dawn this summer.
Similarly, "the Ford Trophy is done and we did it incredibly well" but for the back-to-back one-day champions the party's over and it's about changing tact, as it were.
Red-ball format poses a different challenge so, as a group, they need to adapt quickly.
The bowlers have a fresh challenge because the opposition batsmen won't come as hard at them as they did in the one-dayers and Twenty20.
That means the wicket-savvy bunch will have to plot the downfall of willow whackers 20 times.
"Look, the bowlers have their work cut out because we have seven four-day games in a row to finish the season so it's going to be a big ask and workload."
Young is confident in the ability of his bowlers to do the job with the depth available and those itching to run on to the park.
"It's about a bowler staying on the park as long as they can," he said, emphasising injuries don't discriminate, especially when endurance is a factor.
It is imperative individuals find their pulse quickly and come to terms with their roles.
The batsmen aren't under any illusions about their shift in hanging tough on the crease so as to enable their bowlers to recuperate from the highway project. Idealistically, that is the drift "but it doesn't always happen like that".
CD are banking on spinners Ajaz Patel and George Worker to stifle the batsmen at one end while seamers try to lull them into playing a false shot at the other end.
Young said that Doug Bracewell in the Black Caps mix was outstanding but they needed to look at their robust stocks.
"That's what we want all our cricketers to do - play internationally," he said.
Wairarapa's Seth Rance is a magician with the white ball but will now have to have the red-ball on a string because Ben Wheeler has had a recurrence of his back injury.
"Hopefully we'll have Wheels back as soon as possible ... so that leaves a bit of pressure on Seth but, in the same breath, it's a great opportunity for the less experienced guys to have an opportunity to show the skills they have."
Bay's Blair Tickner and fellow paceman Navin Patel (Manawatu) are in an ideal position to show their worth.
Conversely, Black Caps seamer Tim Southee is returning from injury to up his workload with ND and ditto injury-free leggie Ish Sodhi.
CD are fifth on the table on equal 19 points with ND above them with neither side having an outright win.
Young said CD hadn't played "atrocious" cricket but, frustratingly, lost twice from winning positions and a "convincing draw".
All that should add up to an interesting battle provided rain doesn't rear its ugly head during the weekend.
Both teams:
For rd 4 of the four-day Budget Rental Plunket Shield match between Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags and Sky City Northern Knights at McLean Park, Napier, from 10.30am today:
CD STAGS: William Young (c, Taranaki), Tom Bruce (Taranaki), Dane Cleaver (Manawatu), Greg Hay (Nelson), Ajaz Patel (HB), Navin Patel (Manawatu), Seth Rance (Wairarapa), Dean Robinson (Taranaki), Bevan Small (Manawatu), Ben Smith (Whanganui), Blair Tickner (HB), George Worker (Manawatu).
ND KNIGHTS: Daniel Flynn (c, BOP), James Baker (Hamilton), Dean Brownlie (BOP), Joseph Carter (BOP), Anton Devcich (Hamilton), Brett Hampton (BOP), Scott Kuggeleijn (Hamilton), Daryl Mitchell (Hamilton), Bharat Popli (BOP), Tim Seifert (Waikato Valley), Ish Sodhi (Counties Manukau), Tim Southee (Northland).