Cricket: Kaikorai has sights on final

Kaikorai will take its daring brand of cricket into the opening game at the national club championships confident it is better prepared than at its previous appearance at the tournament, Kaikorai was competitive during its trip to Cornwall Park in 2013, but this summer the Demons have been playing some dazzling cricket and are keen to add a second Otago team to the list of winners.

‘‘Last time we did not really know what we were getting into but we've got a better idea this time because probably about half the guys are back,'' Kaikorai captain Iain Robertson said.

‘‘We are probably better prepared than ever to go out there and do well. Last time it was fun and we did OK. But we can still have fun but if we do it a little bit differently we might come away with a far better result.

‘‘We are not going up there to finish fifth and sixth. We are going up there to make the final and then see what happens.''

Kaikorai opens the tournament against St Albans today but Robertson feels the games against Manukau on Friday and New Lynn on Saturday shape as the sterner tests.

Manukau has Black Caps legspinner Ish Sodhi in its ranks and former Northern Districts first-class cricketer Jono Hickey.

New Lynn can call on Auckland opener Jeet Raval, former international keeper Reece Young and Auckland captain Michael Bates, who retired from first-class cricket last week.

However, Kaikorai has some quality players in its line-up as well.

Top-order batsman Ryan Duffy scored his maiden first-class 100 this season.

Robertson scored a century for New Zealand A and is an very attacking batsman and useful spin bowler.

All-rounder Josh Finnie captained the New Zealand team at the recent Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh and is an emerging talent at first-class level.

But Kaikorai's star player has been allrounder Geordie Scott. He was named Dunedin club cricketer of the year late last month.

They can all bat in the top six which means Kaikorai has an extremely long batting line-up and a flexible bowling unit.

One of the main lessons Kaikorai learned three years ago was it is very hard to defend the small boundaries at Cornwall Park, so the more bowling options a team has the better its prospects are.

Spin is king at Cornwall and left-armer Hamish Robertson looms as a potential threat.

Dunedin club Green Island has won the title three times and shared in the spoils twice more.

It is the most successful club in the tournament's history.


 

National club champs
Cornwall Park, Auckland
Kaikorai:
Dan Sharples, Matt Hunter, Rhys Bayly, Ryan Duffy, Josh Finnie, Geordie Scott, Iain Robertson (captain), Josh Preston, Hamish Robertson, Ricki Allan, Jack Nuttall, Michael Fraser, Liam Cotton, Dan Hamilton.

Draw
v St Albans, today
v Eastern Suburbs, tomorrow
v Napier Tech Old Boys, Thursday
v Manukau, Friday
v Suburbs New Lynn, Saturday

 


 

 

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