Cricket: Hart pushes for keeper spot

By Terry Maddaford

Robbie Hart is letting his gloves - wicketkeeping and batting - do the talking.

The Northern Districts skipper is doing it all right as the groundswell for a wicketkeeping alternate in the New Zealand cricket camp gathers momentum.

No one is writing Black Caps incumbent Adam Parore out of the picture yet, but as the talk swings towards the World Cup and subsequent tour of England the need for a second keeper becomes more likely.

Enter Hart, and perhaps a step or two back Jason Mills, Martyn Croy and Gareth Hopkins. Croy and Hopkins, like Hart, are products of a highly successful Northern Districts coaching programme.

Hart, younger brother of former international left-arm spinner Matthew Hart, makes no secret of where his sights are set.

"I've been working really hard - much harder than in the past," said 24-year-old Hart. "I want to round myself off as a cricketer. I have shot ahead in the past 18 months. I have been working on my batting with [ND coaching guru] Dave Richardson."

In the past he honed his keeping skills with Mike Wright and former test wicketkeeper Barry Milburn, more recently with helpful tips from Black Caps coach/New Zealand selector Steve Rixon.

"I have been working hard on standing up to the wicket," said Hart, who admits playing as a wicketkeeper to his brother since they were kids has been invaluable.

"Matt has probably bowled a million deliveries to me. But in the past few years I've kept to four or five left-armers and they are all very different when it comes to lines and angles."

Hart, steering the Northern Knights towards an almost certain place in the Shell Cup final and the chance to defend the title they won so convincingly last season, admits his brother has again played a key role.

"Matt is bowling way beyond anything he has for the past couple of years," said Hart. "He is also batting really well." So well that Robbie Hart has had few opportunities as he has batted at eight or nine.

Going into the ninth round of cup matches, Hart had made 12 dismissals (eight catches, four stumpings) to move into third place, with 81 from 66 matches, on the all-time limited-over list behind Ervin McSweeney - 123 from 78 - and Lee Germon (96). Hart's 20 stumpings are second only to McSweeney's 26.

The only blight, it seems, is his "super competitive" attitude which some opponents now interpret as personal attacks.

"I like to compete," Hart admitted. "But what happens on the field stays on the field. Nothing I do or say is, I hope, outside the spirit of the game.

"A lot of New Zealand players encourage banter but I would never intentionally become involved in any personal attacks."

Pictured: Northern Districts wicketkeeper Robbie Hart. PICTURE / FOTOPRESS