A decade of domestic cricket - from the embankment

Nick Beard celebrates his  century as a nightwatchman in February 2013.
Nick Beard celebrates his century as a nightwatchman in February 2013.
Craig Cumming with the special bat he received for breaking Bert Sutcliffe's record for centuries...
Craig Cumming with the special bat he received for breaking Bert Sutcliffe's record for centuries and runs scored for Otago. Photos by Gerard O'Brien and Peter McIntosh.
Indian batsman VVS Laxman at the University Oval.
Indian batsman VVS Laxman at the University Oval.

Cricket writing is not just about long naps on the embankment at the University Oval and all-you-can-eat lunches, you know. Sometimes you actually have to watch what's happening in the middle. Otago Daily Times cricket writer Adrian Seconi looks back over his first 10 summers in the role, focusing on the domestic game.

Famous cameos
VVS Laxman: Only one game but great publicity.

Jonathan Trott: Came here as a nobody, left as the MVP.

Dimitri Mascarenhas: Good but played a curious innings in the 2008-09 one-day final.

Mohammad Wasim: Mixed (see below).

Brett Lee: Flew in, flew out, opted out of Champions League.

Ryan ten Doeschate: A lucky charm and one of the best twenty20 finishers in the world.

Steven Finn: Did not pick up many wickets but was an asset.

Infamous cameos
Jason Holder:
A royal bust.

Mohammad Wasim: Great one year, terrible the next.

Darren Stevens: A narcoleptic trundler. He actually took a nap while waiting to bat once.

Kyle Hogg: Busted for drink driving.

Other cameos
Yasir Arafat.

Michael Powell.

Alex Gidman.

Chris Nash.

One that got away
Seamer James Fuller started out with Otago but switched allegiances to Gloucestershire.

Injuries
Pace bowlers Matt Harvie and Anthony Bullick both had promising careers ruined by back injuries. Batsman Shaun Haig had to switch to umpiring for the same reason.

Highlights (top 10)
- No 1 has to be Brendon McCullum's amazing innings of 170 in the one-day final in 2007-08. He had scored a century in the semifinal and pretty much single-handedly brought Otago's 20-year title drought to an end with that fabulous knock. There is talk of naming a road after him. Brendon McCullum Drive does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

- The Volts' 15-game winning-streak (2012-13) is a close second. Who wins 15 games in a row in a fickle format like twenty20? And five of them were at the Champions League.

- The Otago Sparks perhaps do not always get the ink they deserve but their effort to win the one-day competition this summer was top work. They broke a 51-year title drought, too. Brilliant.

- Suzie Bates. Barely need to say any more. A fantastic cricketer, basketballer and person.

- Craig Cumming finished his illustrious career having scored more runs and centuries for Otago than any other player, including the incomparable Bert Sutcliffe.

- Neil Wagner took a world record five wickets in one incredible over.

- Mad March. Hamish Rutherford had not played a first-class game in about two and a-half years. - When he returned in March 2012, he scored 607 in four weeks, including a double century and back-to-back hundreds.

- No-one hit the seam quite like Warren McSkimming. On the right surface, the retired medium-pacer was unplayable. He ruled supreme at the University Oval.

- Sam Wells (2013-14) became just the fifth Otago player to take a first-class five-wicket bag and score a hundred in the same game.

- Spinner Nick Beard (2012-13) batted for more than seven hours and scored 188 when he came in as a nightwatchman.

Disappointments
- Zero first-class titles during my watch. Enough said.

- A good declaration always involves the possibility of defeat. Otago has lacked courage in that area. By and large, the province has been reluctant to take too many risks and been guilty of shutting up shop too often.

- That game. You know, the one where Otago enforced the follow-on against Auckland (2004-05) and had the visiting side seven down before the deficit was wiped. The Volts lost by three runs after collapsing to be all out for 108.

- Early bad press for the University Oval was not always particularly well-informed. But a run of low scores for two or three summers created the impression the pitch was a minefield. Sometimes it was. Sometimes it was just awful batting. And sometimes it was both.

- Otago blew a chance at back-to-back one-day titles by employing a very curious tactic in the final against Northern Districts in 2008-09. Dimitri Mascarenhas (17 from 70) should have stuck to what he did best that summer and just whacked it.

- Just because the rules allow it does not make it right. Otago's decision to sign West Indian seamer Jason Holder for the final of the HRV Cup this summer sent a poor message. Where was the loyalty? A better bowler, Neil Wagner, carried the drinks that night.

- How do you lose a one-day game by 200 runs? Well, you get bowled out for 64 in 22.1 overs. Central Districts posted 264 that day in Invercargill (2004-05). Bradley Scott top-scored for Otago with 17 not out.

- adrian.seconi@odt.co.nz

Seconi's 12
Imports not considered
Players were selected based on their contribution and impact for Otago in first-class cricket from 2004-05 to 2013-14.
Craig Cumming (captain)
Hamish Rutherford
Aaron Redmond
Neil Broom
Greg Todd
Jimmy Neesham
Derek de Boorder
Nathan McCullum
Warren McSkimming
Bradley Scott
Neil Wagner
Ian Butler

 

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