Otago’s Cinderella rise from battler to finalist this season has been put down to the wonderful form Hamish Rutherford has shown at the top of the order.
Jacob Duffy’s enhanced wicket-taking abilities have drawn plenty of attention as well.
The improvements of all-rounders Michael Rippon and Nathan Smith have registered loudly.
Seamer Matt Bacon has emerged as a genuine threat with the ball. Josh Finnie is developing into a wonderful finisher with the bat.
Senior batsmen Neil Broom, Anaru Kitchen and Brad Wilson have all had their moments. Mitch Renwick has been a steady influence at the top of the order.
Christi Viljoen has plundered some valuable runs at the death.
Warren Barnes has claimed some crucial poles.
Just about everybody has found a way to make a positive contribution and grabbed a slice of the credit for helping get Otago get through to its first home one-day final in almost 12 years.
The coach, well, he got to explain the humiliating 193-run loss to Wellington in round three and the collapse against Central District in the opening round.
And if Otago loses the Ford Trophy final against Wellington at the University of Otago Oval today, it will be Rob Walter who has to explain again.
That is the gig and it is a tough one. The praise for Walter, who is in his third season with the team, has been stingy in comparison to the accolades the players have enjoyed.
"I suppose I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t find it satisfying," Walter said when asked if it was rewarding to prove the critics wrong.
"Whenever you start out in a new job you hope what you have learned will serve you well.
"I’ve always said it takes time to establish connections and for the players and yourself to find common ground in terms of how you want the team to operate.
"To see the way the guys have played is hugely satisfying because I know it looks now how I’ve always aimed for it to look."
Walter made some bold calls and worked hard to turn the team around after two under-par seasons.
The decision to send Duffy to bowling boot camp a couple of summers ago was brave and is now returning wonderful rewards. That remodelled action of Duffy’s has helped him grab 22 wickets in the tournament.
The call to promote Smith to No4 this season was inspired. He looks a quality all-rounder with enormous potential.
The team has made improvements in the field. Its out-cricket is excellent. The Volts are hitting the stumps and taking their catches.
That takes practice and the team trains hard under the current regime. But the environment does not feel as intense as it has in the past.
There are more smiles on faces and the high-profile off-season departures appear to have strengthened the team culture, not weakened it.
A review at the end of last season highlighted the culture as an area Otago needed to improve and those improvements have been very evident, even from the periphery.
"At the end of the day team culture is what separates one team from another and I think we’ve experienced that first hand now."
The players backed Walter in the review. But with the Volts having finished last in five of the past six tournaments, the pressure was on the South African to turn the performances around.
Walter has had to alter his approach to get the best out of the team and that has meant changes to how he goes about his job.
"I’ve always prided myself on having a hard work ethic and having a group that works really hard.
"I don’t think you can nail down the skills if you don’t do the repetition work. But I think there was maybe a meeting of two worlds about what that would look like.
"This group had been operating from a very different manual to mine.
"I think a coach has to evolve his way to the group but you can’t lose sight of your values.
"Does this team still work hard? Absolutely. But there has certainly been a lot less resistance between the two parties.
"And I think there is a lot more openness to growth with this current group of players.
"People resist change. That is just the way people are. I think I may have even resisted change, I don’t know. But [collectively] we’ve bought in to what we want to do.
"The inexperienced players in this group have certainly been open to learn and the experienced guys, who have stayed on, have been happy to be part of the learning."
Win or lose today, Walter said he could not be more proud of their effort. But that does not mean the Volts will be content with second.
"We proved a lot of people wrong and probably some of the guys surprised themselves.
"But to talk of the final as being just another game is garbage. It is a final and everyone knows it is a final.
"There is a trophy available. But the key is not to focus on the trophy and instead focus on the things we did so well to get there and be proud of those.
"Someone will win and someone will lose. But it will not define what we’ve done.
"I want the guys to celebrate that and enjoy the experience this week because who knows when you’ll be in a final again."
