Otago's quest for the Plunket Shield gets under way against Central Districts in Napier tomorrow. Cricket Adrian Seconi looks at three key areas the Volts will need to get right to bring an end to a 26-year-long drought.
Attack, attack, attack
At some stage, Otago will have to do more than just talk about being prepared to lose a game in order to win it - it will actually have to follow through.
It is something the Volts have not done particularly well over the past decade. Competitive declarations have been rare. The team has tended to bat on too long. It has also lacked some confidence when chasing a target, which is confusing given the same unit has been so successful in the shorter formats.
New captain Aaron Redmond has promised a more aggressive approach. First-class cricket is a game of patience - there is always more time than you think - but a good skipper knows when to attack and when to defend.
Bowlers win matches
This is proper cricket. Batsmen are under no pressure to smash a boundary every other ball. The bowlers have to work for their wickets and that means staying patient and plugging away.
You also need a good stock of seamers. Otago will lean heavily, perhaps too heavily, on Neil Wagner. He has a proven record and takes wickets in clumps.
The loss of Ian Butler to retirement is a big loss, and promising left-armer Blair Soper is sidelined with a shoulder injury until after Christmas. Jimmy Neesham will be tied up with the Black Caps, and the likes of James McMillan and Bradley Scott are in the twilight of their careers.
Fast bowler Jacob Duffy is still honing his craft, so the Volts will need new recruits Tipene Friday and Roald Badenhorst to shine. Part-timer Jesse Ryder had great success with the ball for his county side and may play a greater role, and all-rounder Sam Wells was Otago's leading wicket-taker last season with 24 wickets at an average of 40.37.
The province is well served by spinners Nick Beard and Mark Craig but the team's strength appears to be in its batting. There could be some long days in the field.
New generation
Gone are names such as Craig Cumming, Warren McSkimming and Butler. Redmond, McMillan and Scott will soon join them in retirement. Neil Broom has gone to Canterbury.
Otago's future success rests with a new crop.
Michael Bracewell scored four first-class centuries last summer and was the competition's second-leading scorer. Brad Rodden scored his debut century. Opening batsman Ryan Duffy did not look out of place in his first two matches at this level. His younger brother, strike bowler Jacob Duffy, has had tremendous success bowling at the death in twenty20 games but has struggled in first-class cricket. Soper has also had his moments but is terribly erratic. Friday is on his third province since making his debut in November 2010, and Badenhorst has transferred from Central Districts in search of more opportunities.
If Otago is going to do well, rookie coach Dimitri Mascarenhas will have to manage their development carefully.
