Cricket: Steady team efforts win way to finals

Jimmy Adams excelled as an Auckland Aces member. Photo / NZ Herald

Sure and steady appears to have triumphed over fancy and flashy when it comes to investing in imports for the Twenty20 HRV Cup.

Auckland and Central Districts enter today's competition final - a repeat of last year - having backed sturdy English professionals rather than well-recognised internationals as they vie for a place in the lucrative Champions League.

While imports have been important to the competition, the team efforts of the Aces and Stags have largely taken them to the top of the table. Andre and Jimmy Adams have excelled at times for Auckland, while Rob Quiney made 55 in their final round loss to the Stags.

CD's English all-rounders Ian Blackwell and Michael Yardy have been steady throughout the tournament, too. Blackwell took 10 wickets at 16.70 and averaged 33 with the bat, while Yardy took 11 wickets at 20.90 and made runs at crucial times.

Auckland benefitted from the occasional starring role. Lou Vincent's 77 off 61 balls (with some exquisite working of the strike by Jimmy Adams) to help defeat Northern Districts in Mt Maunganui was a masterclass with his mongoose bat.

Colin Munro's steady returns of 25 or more runs on four occasions at well better than a run-a-ball often anchored the middle order. Beyond Andre Adams and cameos from Kyle Mills and Daryl Tuffey, Auckland struggled with the ball.

Jamie How and Peter Ingram have been rollicking of late, opening the CD batting. How's 96 from 42 balls against Wellington would have put him in the selectors' eyes ahead of the announcement of the World Cup squad on January 19.

A number of Stags bowlers stepped up, with Michael Mason, Doug Bracewell and Adam Milne experiencing moments of success, alongside Yardy and Blackwell.

Of the conservative import gambits, only Otago failed. Their research of form and attitude yielded little with the recruitment of English county all-rounders Chris Nash and Darren Stevens. They failed to win a game in the 10 rounds but had four either rained off or abandoned.

Northern Districts (Brad Hodge, Herschelle Gibbs, David Hussey, David Warner), Canterbury (Ryan ten Doeschate, Johan van der Wath, Dirk Nannes, Mitchell Claydon) and Wellington (Brett Lee, Damien Wright, Luke Wright, Mark Cleary, Travis Birt) invested in higher-profile players. While they hauled in the crowds at times, they have all failed to secure a Champions League spot in three seasons.

The addition of the two-import rule has been a success. Nine of the 20 used were in the top 20 of the MVP table when rated on average performance per game. That proves they made runs, took wickets, saved runs and snaffled catches at optimum times. Yet few got much continuity - only seven played seven or more games.

The idea of bringing players in for one or two appearances - such as Australian internationals Warner, Hussey and Nannes - proved somewhat farcical. The frivolous nature of the practice can have little positive impact on team spirit, even if it results in a one-off hit on the turnstiles to boost provinces' coffers. The debate remains whether the Champions League is enough of an ultimate prize to bring in so many players.

It does not help that New Zealand teams have been poorly represented at the first two editions of the Champions League by Otago and Central Districts. Neither won a game, which means New Zealand Cricket's solitary place at the tournament remains under threat, despite the Champions League selection system skewed in favour of wealthier countries.

Otago used their import Dimitri Mascarenhas in 2009 but CD missed the services of Ross Taylor because Bangalore had first dibs last year.

Certainly teams have suffered without regular access to their Black Caps in this season's HRV Cup because of international commitments.

That was outlined by frustrated Northern Districts coach Grant Bradburn after the last round when he could not use Scott Styris, Tim Southee and Peter McGlashan despite the trio being in Christchurch with the Black Caps at the same time Northern Districts were playing there. That is a problem that NZC will have to solve next season.