A team incentive an extra boost for State Championship

New Zealand's domestic cricket showpiece, the State Championship, begins on Monday and the incentives to succeed for teams and individuals have been heightened this summer as a result of New Zealand Cricket's decision to embark on a much more productive A team series.

Once the season is completed, a New Zealand A team will meet Sri Lanka A in the first of what is likely to be regular competition, possibly embracing a world A series, to stiffen the ranks of international potential players.

There is a much more settled look to sides for this year's series, an outcome that had been anticipated as a result of the greater encouragement players received from their improved contractural arrangements with their own associations and New Zealand Cricket. This should see the harder core of older players putting their experience to use as tight situations emerge in games.

There has also been some movement between associations, although in most cases this has seen a return to home environments such as Kerry Walmsley and Paul Hitchcock have done for Auckland, and Regan West for Central Districts. Another feature of the series will be the opportunity to see how players who made an impact last summer cope with the second-season blues - the struggle to get around the tactics devised to counter them once opposing sides analyse their potential strengths and weaknesses.

Some of the players concerned have been at the New Zealand Academy over the summer and it will be interesting to see how they cope with the greater expectations of them. In this category must be, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor (both CD), Neil Broom (Canterbury) and Mark Orchard (ND).

Equally, however, all four players are potential top performers and there is every hint, given fine weather, that some quality cricket will be produced in this year's competition. Good pitches are a must if New Zealand is to derive satisfaction from the Championship and it is to be hoped players have the maximum chance to test their skills.

First round games are:

Timaru - Canterbury v Otago Wellington - Wellington v Central Districts Hamilton - Northern Districts v Auckland

Wisden Cricinfo players to watch in these games are:

Canterbury v Otago

Craig McMillan - to continue his outstanding Test form in India Michael Papps - to build on his fine summer last year Peter Fulton - to get back in the scoring groove quickly Jordan Sheed - to show he has absorbed the tough lessons of last year James McMillan - to realise the potential he is known to have Jeff Wilson - because you always have to watch him

Wellington v Central Districts

James Franklin - because he's due to get it back together again Jeetan Patel - to show that spin bowling can still be a force Neal Parlane - to demonstrate the lessons of a great season in England Glen Sulzberger - because battlers are invaluable Peter Ingram - early season form suggests something big from him Richard Sherlock - a bright young hope

Northern Districts v Auckland

Nick Horsley - cashed in last year and will need to do so again James Marshall - because he's due Bruce Martin - should have plenty of opportunities this summer Rob Nicol - a fine season last year, needs to back it up Brooke Walker - hopefully a busy season of bowling ahead Tim McIntosh - the next generation of opening batsman

Squads for the first phase of the championship are:

Auckland: Brooke Walker (capt), Mark Richardson, Lou Vincent, Matt Horne, Tim McIntosh, Rob Nicol, Tama Canning, Llorne Howell, Aaron Barnes, Craig Pryor, Andre Adams, Kyle Mills, Reece Young, Kerry Walmsley, Paul Hitchcock, Michael Bates, Sam Whiteman, Gareth Shaw, Shane Singe, Heath Davis.

Canterbury: Craig McMillan (capt), Neil Broom, Steven Cunis, Brendon Donkers, Peter Fulton, Chris Martin, Michael Papps, Aaron Redmond, Gary Stead, Shanan Stewart, Paul Wiseman, Warren Wisneski.

Central Districts: Glen Sulzberger (capt), Bevan Griggs, Lance Hamilton, Brent Hefford, Jamie How, Peter Ingram, Jesse Ryder, Richard Sherlock, Craig Spearman, Ross Taylor, Ewen Thompson, Regan West.

Northern Districts:Rob Hart (capt), James Marshall (vice-capt), Graeme Aldridge, Ian Butler, Matthew Hart, Nick Horsley, Bruce Martin, Mark Orchard, Grant Robinson, Scott Styris, Gareth West, Joseph Yovich.

Otago: Craig Cumming (capt), Robbie Lawson, Mohammad Wasim, Andrew Hore, Chris Gaffaney, Jordan Sheed, Marcel McKenzie, Gareth Hopkins, Warren McSkimming, James McMillan, Jeff Wilson, David Sewell, Nathan Morland, Neil Rushton, Bradley Scott.

Wellington: Matthew Bell (capt), Richard Jones, Stephen Fleming, Neal Parlane, Michael Parlane, Luke Woodcock, James Franklin, Chris Nevin, Iain O'Brien, Jeetan Patel, Matthew Walker, Grant Donaldson, Andrew Penn, Mark Gillespie, Stu Mills, Leighton Morgan, James Hill, Simon Allen.