Central Districts development policy has paid high dividends

Central Districts, with a team taking the New Zealand scene by storm during the latter half of the Shell Cup programme, have achieved the near impossible - beating Canterbury in a Cup final.

Last night's 45-run win to CD at Jade Stadium in Christchurch, was only the second time in 11 finals games in the last decade that Canterbury has lost a game.

The only other occasion it lost was to Northern Districts in Hamilton in the 1997/98 season.

CD has managed the feat, and forced this year's best-of-three finals into a third match, with a team that has refused to lie down and die.

Struggling without their front line bowlers, Lance Hamilton, who went on the A tour to England last winter, and Michael Mason, who suffered a horrendous broken ankle when struck by Canterbury and New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle in a preliminary round game in Timaru, CD have shown admirable fortitude and stickability.

Better teams than this CD side have taken on Canterbury and failed.

It says much for the CD selection policy that it now has a chance to lift the Shell Cup with an attack which has been variously criticised for being inexperienced and lacking in versatility.

CD does not have the all-rounders who predominate in other less successful sides.

But it has shown the quality of team work and again that attribute has been one of the singlemost factors in the team's advance.

By the end of the season the careers of Ewen Thompson, Andrew Schwass and Brent Hefford are likely to be considerably advanced.

Already captain Jacob Oram has been recognised and will take his place in the New Zealand team for the Sri Lankan series.

In only his first full season of captaincy he has managed to lift his team to the point where it has taken on all comers and succeeded.

CD has shown enviable depth to its resources and if able to pull off another win tomorrow in Christchurch may have some valuable lessons on player development to give other associations in this country.