Auckland deserving winners of State Championship

Auckland proved deserving winners of the first State Championship and were clearly the most consistent side of the summer.

Any season in which the members of the national side are taken out of the home first-class programme is going to be hard to match in terms of individual and team performances.

But, despite the lack of CLEAR Black Caps on the scene, there had to be cause from satisfaction from the results achieved.

To have four teams still in contention with two rounds left was a fine effort and while it was going to take a mathematical miracle, or should that be improbability, for Wellington to get up and beat Auckland in the last round, the interest was there until the end.

The first year of the State Championship started out as if it was going to be dogged by the most frustrating summer weather in recent memory. While it didn't always affect specific matches, it did hinder the preparation of players for first-class play on their respective club scenes and it has to be said that the standards of play before Christmas reflected this.

Compounding this situation was the poorer quality of pitches at most venues. The continual moisture and lack of drying winds and sun meant that it was well into the New Year before conditions were anything like those which could normally be expected.

While no-one leapt out of the competition and said their performances demanded they be given a place in the national side, there was evidence that the return to two full rounds of play was bearing fruit in terms of application by batsmen over longer periods of time.

And while bowlers were given the best of starts to the summer and dominated through the earlier stages even more than might normally have been the case, there were encouraging developments in this area.

Overall, it must be wondered how much longer the national selectors can continue to downplay the efforts of the Central Districts pace attack of Michael Mason, Andrew Schwass, Lance Hamilton and Brent Hefford. Should there be another invitation for the New Zealand A team to travel to India later in the year some of these players must be considered.

Sadly, no dominant performances were seen to suggest any alleviation of the opening batting situation, although the late form of Northern Districts' James Marshall suggests an improvement on that effort next summer could yet be his ticket to international honours and giving New Zealand the first twins in Test cricket since Steve and Mark Waugh completed the feat.

Equally, no spinner emerged during the summer to suggest there is any significant advance in the spinning quality available. Spin bowling should be the one area that is truly advancing with the greater opportunities for players but any trend will have to wait until next season.

A team by team review follows:

It's not generally the case that a side which has a significant turnover of players carries on to win a championship, but that was the case for Auckland this year. And in the process of ushering in new talent, and providing more chances for younger players tried in earlier years, Auckland is in the process of developing a considerable power base.

Tim McIntosh (524 runs at an average of 32.75) and Rob Nicol (489 at 44.45) were the most obvious examples of this while Nick Horsley produced a late run with a maiden century to end the year on 315 runs at 28.63.

Ten centuries were scored and with international players Mark Richardson and Matt Horne scoring two each, the example was set for the younger players and by the end of the summer it had to be said something had rubbed off.

Winning championships is about scoring runs, and Auckland certainly did that. It would be fair to say that there was some inconsistency still in performances but if Auckland tighten up next summer they will be an even more formidable proposition.

Auckland didn't have individual players who took the competition by storm, but they had a core of players capable of producing performances as they were required. Andre Adams was the most successful with 31 wickets at 19.45 while Chris Drum (28 at 10.71!) and Brooke Walker (28 at 24.75) were next in line. Backing them up were Tama Canning with 24 and Gareth Shaw, who played only five games, taking 21.

This support gave Walker good options to choose from in games and it had to be said he used it well.

Summary: This should only be the start for Auckland. Their side has a formidable look to it and the potential is there for it to become a dominant force in future seasons - and that has to be good for New Zealand cricket overall.

Wellington's failure to hold its title from last summer came down to one fact - batting. The rich run harvest of last summer deserted them and only five centuries were scored. Matthew Bell scored more than that on his own last year.

It was always going to be tough to follow such an outstanding summer of run scoring, and it has to be wondered how much the lack of runs is attributable to the decline of the Basin Reserve. It is not only the quality of the pitch that is responsible, but also the outfield. It seems the ground is permanently damp and while that may be aesthetically pleasing, it shears value off shots and that has to be a concern.

All that aside it is significant that the best performer for the side, although he played only two games was New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming. He averaged 115 while the next highest was 38.75 to Matthew Bell who scored 465 runs.

Richard Jones scored most with 576, but he too was down on his performances of the previous summer with his average being 36. Grant Donaldson and James Franklin had cause for moderate satisfaction with their 384 (25.60) and 331 (27.58) respectively. Franklin, laid the groundwork for future consideration as a Test all-rounder with his batting and it will be interesting to see how he shapes next summer.

Wellington also lacked the incisive qualities from its attack. Andrew Penn was easily the pick of the bowlers with 40 wickets at 18.05 while Franklin took 27 at 29.70. However, the side's spinning stocks were not high. Jeetan Patel looked to suffer from the blues as he took only 12 but at a high average of 40.16. The side also missed Iain O'Brien as he showed when coming back at the end of the season at picking up nine wickets at 19.55.

Mark Jefferson is still searching for the quality that marked his play when he first arrived on the scene and while he played only three matches for his five wickets, there has to be concern at the way his bowling has declined. Newcomer Luke Woodcock at least offered some hope for Wellington and it will be interesting to see how his play develops.

Summary: Wellington face some selection issues now as they ponder their strategy over the next few years and whether investing in younger players is the way ahead. Possibly another season for most but more consistent batting and more incisive bowling is the key.

After the winning of the domestic one-day competition the previous year, CD focused, by design or otherwise, on a better effort in the four-day programme and it has to be said there was an advance. The side finished third, and while beaten by Otago in the last round, it has to be said the side made an impact and provided a launching pad for next summer in the Championship.

Still, the lack of consistent batting was a flaw. Ben Smith did not enjoy as fruitful a season as he had in last summer. Mathew Sinclair was clearly the class batting act in the side, once returning from Australia. He scored most runs (547) and the best average (53.57).

There were only four centuries scored by the side and 11 half centuries, which in terms of the whole competition for the side were not enough.

One of the side's potentially better batsmen David Kelly had a poor summer and scored only 271 runs and was dropped before the end.

The bowlers again did best for the side, bowling CD into contention in many matches. When they have more runs to play with they will be even more effective.

CD had two of the best performed bowlers in the series in Schwass with 45 at 14.73 and Hamilton 42 at 18.33. Mason came back well from last summer's horrific broken leg and took 32 wickets at 25.18.

Summary: A better summer, but another improvement required, especially in run scoring and spin bowling before Championship hopes can be entertained. But they are distinctly possible.

Started the season with much promise, but once into the hurly-burly were just a notch below the top-tier of sides. Canterbury scored enough runs to figure higher in considerations but suffered for a want of bowling options.

The emergence of Michael Papps was one of the highlights of the summer overall. His 756 runs at 54 has the hallmark of Canterbury batting down the years written all over it.

Chris Harris too, enjoyed another good year with 574 runs at 95.66, no surprises there. But there were only six centuries scored, two each to Harris and Papps and one each to Robbie Frew, another useful performer overall, and Aaron Redmond.

Shanan Stewart (396 at 26.40), Peter Fulton (280 at 40) and Gareth Hopkins (413 at 27.53) also offered hope for the future with their batting.

But it is bowling issues that Canterbury must address. Wade Cornelius was a genuine contributor fresh from the New Zealand Academy. His 33 wickets at 17.09 were a fine performance, but by the end of it he had succumbed to the stress fracture syndrome plaguing the New Zealand game. Hopefully, he will come back stronger next summer and realise his potential.

Paul Wiseman was next highest wicket-taker with 26 but at an average of 32.69 which by his hopes was probably not the sort of return he was seeking. He should be the No 2 spinner in the country but cannot claim that mantle yet. More could probably have been expected of Redmond as well.

For all the potential of its fast-medium attack, Canterbury could not claim to have had a satisfying return. Ryan Burson (21), Warren Wisneski (19), Stephen Cunis (10) and Chris Martin (seven) was not the result many would have expected.

Summary: More attention to bowling requirements would seem to be top priority for Canterbury. Young players are starting to pay off in the batting area and now the demand must be for incisive bowlers.

Again a side which was capable of better, especially given the runs its best batsmen scored, although it must be said Marshall's final quota of 706 runs at 39.22 was bolstered by his fine last round double century.

To have the ND record of highest innings broken twice within a matter of a week is an indication of the abilities of its players, it is just the consistency that is the problem. Scott Styris hit 662 at 44.13 but after that the next highest scorer was Hamish Marshall, still looking for that maiden first-class century with 443 runs at 27.68.

ND probably lacked another two key contributors in the top order in the final outcome. Michael Parlane played six games and scored 373, and over a full season may have made more of a difference while Robbie Hart his 370 at 30.83. But they needed more support and, generally, it wasn't forthcoming.

Among the bowlers, Joseph Yovich had a fine year with 40 wickets and more than 300 overs bowled. That should be testimony to his endurance. Styris backed up his batting with 28 wickets at 17.03. But again consistent support was lacking. Daryl Tuffey took only 17 wickets in nine matches, the same as Ian Butler managed in four.

As far as spin bowling was concerned ND was without impact. Bruce Martin took 17 wickets but could have expected more while the question has to be asked why Matthew Hart is not used more? His absence from the bowling crease is one of the more curious aspects of the game in this country. On the basis of what he did bowl, he took six wickets, had the best economy of the bowlers (2.21) and the best average (16.66).

Summary: A disappointing summer from a side capable of much better. The side was too inconsistent for its own good. It has both the batting and bowling depth, it is just a case of getting them to sing in the same choir.

The best thing that could be said about Otago's summer was that it finished with a win. It was the only win, but it was a win. It was a shocker of a summer though. New players have been introduced and it can only be hoped that they put in the hard work over the winter to ensure that when stepping up next summer they are ready to show their worth in full.

Much could depend on the role Brendon McCullum plays in the side. He should be the rock around which the foundation is built. He topped the averages at a lowly 32.64, achieved his maiden first-class century with 142. He has the undoubted ability.

Chris Gaffaney scored 577 runs during the season, but as his average of 32.05 shows, he could have scored many more. He has the talent. Is it just a case of belief?

Craig Cumming too. He scored 503 at 25.15 while Craig Pryor was probably the most consistent player in the side while scoring 423 runs at 28.20. However, they lacked consistent support and the Otago collapses have been too many for comfort during the year.

The bowling probably lacked one genuine strike force. Kerry Walmsley did well in seven games to take 32 wickets at 22.43 while Pryor picked up 27, but at a cost of 33.25. David Sewell was there or thereabouts with 26 but at 33.26. The spin option was represented by Nathan Morland in six matches. He took 18 wickets at 24.33.

But after that there was not the support to lift the side out of the less than ordinary.

Some hard work remains to be done in the off season.

Summary: While not quite back to the drawing board, it is vital that Otago develops batting consistency and incisive bowling. It got into enough positions to win games this year but lacked the finish.