Cricket: Intriguing squad for Twenty20 challenge

Andre Adams has not been seen here since February 2008. Photo / Brett Phibbs

There's nothing like an eve-of-showdown surprise to heighten interest ahead of a big game.

And that came yesterday with the naming of Auckland's 14-strong squad to face Central Districts in the HRV Cup Twenty20 final at New Plymouth's picturesque postage stamp, Pukekura Park.

Sticking with the usual 12 who have won six of the last eight round-robin games - and one of the losses, to Otago this week was of the one-over eliminator variety - would have been entirely expected.

The players who had done the business so far should be there. But the eyebrow-raising came with the other two names listed in a squad of 14.

National under-19 representative Jimmy Neesham has joined the squad, but so too has former international Andre Adams.

Unsighted round these parts since February 2008, when he played his last 50-over game for Auckland against Northern Districts at Eden Park, Adams is playing club cricket in Sydney, having done a stint in the defunct Indian Cricket League and is contracted to English county Nottinghamshire.

Auckland can only play one of English import Ravi Bopara or Adams and the simple fact Adams is even in New Plymouth suggests Bopara, whose Twenty20 form has been steady but not authoritative, could be on the bench tomorrow.

If Adams plays, and Auckland win, it will make him eligible for this year's Champions League in India, which adds another intriguing dimension to the final XI.

Neesham is a renowned hitter, but all Auckland's top batsmen have made important contributions to their reaching the final.

Allrounder Colin de Grandhomme and Anaru Kitchen, the middle order men, rescued Auckland from a dire position against Otago with fine innings.

So where to fit Neesham in is the quandary for coach Paul Strang and captain Gareth Hopkins, but what the size of the squad means is that they can give themselves a wide range of options once they see the pitch and work out their tactical approach.

And they must also decide whether to play left arm spinner Ronnie Hira on a ground where a fat edged sweep will sail onto the terraces.

"We'll focus on what we want to do well and what our game plan is," Hopkins said yesterday.

"Trying to counteract their players can often just distract you from what's worked for you in the past."

There are several CD players worth counter-acting too. They have hitting power in captain Jamie How, Mathew Sinclair, Ross Taylor, Peter Ingram and Tim Weston, and allrounders Jacob Oram, Graham Napier and Kieran Noema-Barnett.

Auckland have had the wood on CD this season, winning both round-robin games. That might give them a psychological edge, but in real terms probably won't count for much.

After all, the second win, in Nelson, was by a solitary run, and Auckland would be unwise to read too much into that statistical edge.

CD are expected to have their embattled coach Dermot Reeve at the final.

Englishman Reeve, who is not expected to see out the remainder of the season after a series of incidents involving players and outbursts at other teams, has been in Sydney this week with his family.

"As far as I'm concerned I'm at the final and I'm the coach," Reeve said.

Reeve said he would "absolutely" fulfil his contract through till the end of the season.

Each team have prospered in the Twenty20 final in recent times.

Auckland won the 2006-07 final; and CD took the trophy the following season, before Otago won it last season in a rained-out final against Canterbury.

Auckland's women will go into their Twenty20 final against CD today as underdogs, but coach Maia Lewis is confident her team would be fired up for the challenge.

CD topped the round robin with 18 points, two more than Auckland, who had four wins and a loss from their games.

Auckland's only loss was a comprehensive eight-wicket defeat to CD, at Masterton on New Year's Eve.

"If we play with some courage and positive intent, we're in with a chance," Lewis said.

"We've got to come out of our shells a bit. You've got to risk a bit to gain a bit."

TEAM LINE-UPS

HRV Cup final, Pukekura Park, 2pm tomorrow

CENTRAL DISTRICTS: (from) Jamie How (c), Peter Ingram, Mathew Sinclair, Ross Taylor, Tim Weston, Jacob Oram, Graham Napier, Kieran Noema-Barnett, Bevan Griggs, Seth Rance, Ewen Thompson, Michael Mason.

AUCKLAND: (from) Gareth Hopkins (c), Martin Guptill, Lou Vincent, Ravi Bopara, Scott Styris, Anaru Kitchen, Reece Young, Colin de Grandhomme, Daryl Tuffey, Ronnie Hira, James Neesham, Andre Adams, Michael Bates, Greg Morgan.

Auckland women's team to play CD in the women's Twenty20 final, Pukekura Park, 2pm today: Victoria Lind (c), Katie Perkins, Michelle Lynch, Sam Barriball, Megan Tremaine, Holly Huddleston, Rosie Cox, Maddie Green, Paula Gruber, Natalee Scripps, Saskia Bullen, Sandee Hui.