CRICKET - Wins bode well for style change

A good win over Wellington gave Northern Districts a satisfying end to their first-class season but, more importantly, it was an early sign of success for a new approach to the game introduced by coach Grant Bradburn.
Northern's two outright wins in the competition came in their last three games and lifted Northern from equal last to four points off third place. Bradburn hopes it is a sign of things to come next year.
"We were scoring as a team at about two or two and a half an over [earlier in the season] and we started looking to lift that to three and a half per over and, while that doesn't sound like a lot, that's quite a significant philosophy change in the way we go about the game," he said.
Bradburn accepts it may take a season or so to get used to but said the way the team played in Whangarei and against Canterbury the players had already showed it was within their grasp.
"It's not going to be a huge change for the players and I think they're welcoming the change because it's more fitted to the natural abilities that we've got in the squad."
The new approach also means that the side has to be prepared to bowl the opposition out twice and not rely on the other side to make a reasonable declaration to earn a win.
"With the ball I certainly like the way the game turned out in Whangarei, and we want to use that as a template where we can dominate teams and get into a position where we are forced to bowl them out rather than rely on setting up contrived results," Bradburn said.
"We'd rather control our own destiny and force our bowlers to learn the skills needed to dismiss a team twice - so basically we're looking for 20 wickets in a game."
He said bad weather and flat pitches might require a temporary change in philosophy but, as the spinners showed in Whangarei, bowling a side out twice would generally win you matches.
"It was a fantastic result.
"There was a lot of pressure on the bowlers on the last day.
"Both Bruce Martin and Kane Williamson in particular stood up and proved we have the resources to bowl a good side out on the last day."
The coach said that with seam bowlers like Tim Southee, Brent Arnel and Trent Boult - who have all been in national squads this year - on the team they had the bowling attack that bode well for next season.