KEY POINTS:
It's back to business for Northern Districts today, the celebrations at winning the national 50-over title replaced by planning for this week's start to the Twenty20 competition.
ND lost last year's Twenty20 final to Central Districts but will go into their opening match at Eden Park on Wednesday with confidence high after toppling Otago to win the State Shield title at Seddon Park on Saturday.
Their 49-run win over the defending champions sets ND up nicely for the hectic nature of the Twenty20, although captain James Marshall yesterday stressed this week was the start of a fresh page.
"It's vastly different to the 50-over game," he said.
"We've probably done it well at times with the ball, and at other times with the bat. But doing it consistently is going to be crucial for us.
"You take a lot of confidence out of winning a competition, but with the Twenty20 the slate's been cleaned and we have to start well again, instead of dwelling on a good one-day campaign."
It was an up-and-down performance from ND on Saturday. They were in a hole at 94 for five, but the spades were in the good hands of experienced pair Joseph Yovich and Graeme Aldridge who shared a crucial 64-run stand for the seventh wicket as the hosts rallied to 238 for nine.
Yovich has been in a few tight spots during his 96-game, one-day career, which began in 1997-98. But the 32-year-old Northlander chose the ideal time to hit his highest score for ND, 78 not out off 76 balls, flourishing in the closing overs as Otago's fast-medium bowlers lost the plot.
Aldridge's important 36 was the first part of a stellar day which ended with him taking five for 39 as Otago, who began their innings badly, tumbled to 189.
But ND retained self-belief and enjoyed a convincing victory. "The whole theory on yesterday was to play with no fear. The guys who came in after we were in a bit of strife showed no fear and got us out of a sticky situation," Marshall said.
Spare a thought for Otago's former international Ian Butler. He took five for 55, then valiantly tried to rescue a lost cause with 44 off 23 balls.
His innings followed the most peculiar part of the day, in which Dimitri Mascarenhas and stand-in captain Nathan McCullum shared 18 overs for mustering only 45 runs.
Mascarenhas clouted offspinner Jeetan Patel for four successive sixes at Eden Park last summer. He has a formidable reputation as a hitter, so at 78 for five, the stage was ideally set up for Mascarenhas' bat to roar.
Instead, the pair lamely blocked spinners Bruce Martin and Kane Williamson as if they were lobbing hand grenades, apparently waiting for the fast-medium bowlers to return for a late assault.
Mascarenhas made just 17 off 70 balls. For the spectators, it must have seemed like turning up for an AC/DC concert only to find The Wiggles on stage instead.
"I must admit I was waiting for one of them to have a bit of a crack," Marshall said.
"It built up on them and I think they let the gap between runs and balls get too wide. They had a plan, some days it comes off, some days it doesn't."
