Cricket: Knights bid to sign Gayle for one-off match

The Northern Knights are hoping to sign Chris Gayle for tomorrow's clash. Photo / Getty Images

The Northern Knights are hoping to end their waterlogged season on a high by signing big-hitting West Indian allrounder Chris Gayle for Thursday's HRV Twenty20 match against the Otago Volts.

Gayle played his final "Big Bash'' match for the Sydney Thunder against the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba last night and the optimistic Knights are hoping the former West Indian captain will help boost their coffers by attracting a big crowd to Hamilton at the end of a tough season.

The Knights, who are not involved in the playoffs, rely on big gate takings at Mt Maunganui's Blake Park over the holiday season but, of the four matches between New Year's Eve and January 8, only one was unaffected by rain. Two were significantly shortened due to the conditions, with their loss to Canterbury on New Year's Eve played over only 10 overs.

It is understood that the Knights had budgeted for crowds of about 4000 per game at Mt Maunganui but didn't reach anywhere near that figure.

The Knights have a long and proud history of attracting big names for one-off matches and free-swinging left-hander Gayle would top the lot. Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan was flown in by helicopter for a match at Blake Park in 2009 and Australian limited overs expert David Hussey had a busy Sunday in December 2010 when flying into Auckland a few hours before a game at the city's modest Colin Maiden Park.

Northern Districts chief executive David Cooper confirmed talks were continuing with Gayle, who has been a spectacular success for the Thunder, hitting an unbeaten century off 54 balls against Adelaide at the Sydney Cricket Ground before Christmas.

That included 11 sixes, the most in Australian domestic Twenty20 history.

He has also recorded two half centuries, including a 75 against the Melbourne Renegades.

It is understood the pitch would be around playing alongside fellow international cricketers Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum and having a bit of fun, rather than the promise of any significant financial reward.

Gayle is due to remain in Sydney for the rest of the week following last night's match for the Thunder, which was effectively a dead rubber given the team - seventh of eight going into their last match - has no chance of making the play-offs.

Cooper said Gayle was not a confirmed starter and negotiations were continuing. But he added that Gayle wasn't the only player on his wishlist. "There's probably him and others that would be of value in coming across to help out with our gate receipts and things.

"We are probably sitting and hoping on a whole lot of things but there's nothing I can confirm.''

Cooper said he couldn't comment on which other players he was targeting. "We're in confidential talks with some people,'' he said.

The Knights' previous international signings have been made in the hope that they would help with entry into the lucrative Champions League, but this signing would be solely about trying to fill the coffers.

The rise of the Twenty20 game means the sight of international players jetting in for one or two domestic games has become the norm.

Vettori and McCullum have both played two matches for the Brisbane Heat in this season's Big Bash. Vettori hit 40 against the Melbourne Stars last Thursday night and McCullum's highlight was a 36, also against the Stars, on December 20.