Otago are my 2nd team TBH and I'm enjoying watching them play but you just never see the locals themselves do too well down there.
Hmm, that's odd - I've just seen a "wicket" appear next to Warren McSkimming's name and - forgive me if I'm mistaken, Athlai, but Wazza grew up in Central Otago and was a boarder at Waitaki Boys' in Oamaru.
And the guy who has been causing all the trans-Tasman ruckus in the last few days, Brendon McCullum? Where do you think he is from? Shaun Haig? Dunedin lad since at least his teens, Nathan McCullum, obviously a Dunedinite as well, and was good enough to make the national Twenty20 squad for the World Cup and Sean Eathorne, another Dunedin lad.
Here's the deal - this is called "modern" sport, and the sense of provincial pride is a relic of the bygone era. Despite this, there's still four Dunedin-bred players in the side and there's often even more during the State Championship. Are you expecting a province where the population drift north still exists to just roll over and die? And again, what exactly are Otago/Southland meant to do when they're COMFORTABLY the smallest province population-wise in NZ cricket.
Auckland - well over 1.3 million
Northern Districts - Hamilton, Whangerei, Tauranga, Rotorua, Cambridge, Taupo et al - 500,000 comfortably
Central Districts - New Plymouth, Napier, Hastings, Palmerston North, Masterton, Nelson - 300,000 at a guess
Wellington - close to 400,000
Canterbury - close 500,000
Otago - batting around just over 200,000?
And by the way, aren't two of your star players a Saffa and a former Central Districts boy? And I'm pretty sure G. Napier isn't a Naenae lad...