Bring on the chicken farmers

We've gone down in the test series so the boys will be pretty disappointed when they get back over the next few days.

It's not all doom and gloom though, and I'm sure that by the time we get around to playing the Zimbabwe lads on Boxing Day we'll have our confidence up. It will be great to get back in front of our home crowds and play in conditions that aren't as hot as hell.

Mind you, Heath Streak and the Zimbos will be keen to avenge their recent test series loss to us, and they boast some good players - they rely on the Flower brothers and Alistair Campbell to fire with the bat, and the captain is more than useful with leather in hand.

Our top order was rejigged for the last test, with Adam joining Mark Richardson to see off the new ball. Adam's such an asset to the team, I can just see him telling Tristy that he'd be more than willing to give the opening role a crack.

It was great to see Hamish Marshall make his debut in the Black Cap and white kit last week. I think it was a good decision to save him from opening - we all remember the baptism of fire that a young Ken Rutherford endured when he was brought into his first test series in the West Indies back at Port of Spain in 1984/85.

Although Hamish took his time getting off the mark, there is nothing wrong with that and he batted with a lot of guts to be 40 not out at the end. The South Africans bowled consistently well all series with the new tyro Makhaya Ntini, and the veterans Pollock and Donald rustling up 36 wickets between them which is relatively effective.

Back home, the Northern Districts chaps have been chugging along nicely. We gave Central a good beating in the Trophy then followed that up with a spanking win in the Shell Cup one-dayer in Hamilton.

I hope Doully doesn't get too comfortable in the opener role - he was certainly sensational on Sunday, clubbing it all over the park. The team is looking sturdy and the return of Daryl Tuffey and Hamish will aid that as well. Scotty Styris might even be back on deck, so I look forward to seeing him pull out that one-arm delivery he loves so much.

There's been heaps of cricket on lately, and with the copious amounts of time I have had on my hands I've even seen a little bit of the Cricinfo Women's World Cup, being played down in Christchurch.

Hopefully, Emily and the White Ferns can reverse their earlier result against the feisty Aussie team, and get their hands on some more silverware for New Zealand cricket.

Hamilton has also been hosting the national secondary schools' championship with Auckland Grammar and New Plymouth Girls' High winning the respective top four play-offs. I know our old manager John Graham will be pleased to see that Grammar win.

I donned my Star-Varsity club uniform for the first time in quite a while last week. My back is still not right to bowl but I managed to snake into an opening batsman position.

It was great to be back out in the middle, and although my style of left-handed batting may have been slightly more agricultural than Brian Lara, it went well and I ended up on 80-odd. With a bit of form like that, and some help from Kuggs, I might even be in the maroon and gold of ND sometime before New Year's. If not I'll be heading to the test at the Basin Reserve to watch Flem and the team get stuck into the chicken farmers.

Have a great Christmas.