**Official** New Zealand Domestic Season 2013/2014

[Kippax]

Northern Knights

The SKYCITY Northern Knights will look to protect top spot for the remaining three fixtures without the services of injured Blackcap wicket-keeper BJ Watling.

Watling strained a hamstring while batting in the Knights' thumping 151 run win over Central Districts in New Plymouth on Sunday, and is unlikely to play any further part in the preliminary matches. The Knights are hopeful of a return in time for the finals, should they make them, but this will be contingent on the severity of Watling's hamstring tear.

Keeper Rory Christopherson from Northland will replace Watling for the match against the Wellington Firebirds on Wednesday at Seddon Park. Christopherson made his debut late in the Plunket Shield season following an injury to back-up keeper Cameron Fletcher and the unavailability of Watling. This will be his debut in the shortened version.

 

[Kippax]

Cricket: Johnson money not from OCA - Dykes | Otago Daily Times Online News : Otago, South Island, New Zealand & International News

Former Otago coach Vaughn Johnson has not borrowed or taken any money from the Otago Cricket Association, chief executive Ross Dykes says.

Johnson (53) took stress leave earlier this month and is in Wakari Hospital. He resigned on Friday amid allegations over an unpaid debt understood to be about $150,000.

''It was not money borrowed, stolen or taken in any which way from Otago cricket,'' Dykes said.

''It was from other parties but, by implication, Otago cricket was involved.

''Otago cricket was sort of implicated because VJ was borrowing the money for something in cricket.''

Dykes declined to provide further details or speculate what had happened to the borrowed money. However, he was confident there would not be any criminal proceedings.

''I don't know where the money has gone and it was not borrowed [from] Otago cricket, so I'm certainly not at liberty to discuss any lenders or any amounts.

''He resigned because he acknowledged to me that he had borrowed some money - a significant amount of money - and that the allegation was true. At that point he decided that the honourable thing to do was to resign.''

The Otago Daily Times has learned Johnson was previously involved in a failed bat-importing venture.

Asked if it was related, Dykes said that particular debt had been settled when Otago employed Johnson three years ago.

''When we employed him, the debt was consolidated and there was a repayment programme put in place.''

The latest debt is fresh and it is unclear how many people are involved. There has been speculation Johnson borrowed money from the parent of a player, but Dykes quashed that suggestion.

When asked how many people had been affected, Dykes said he could not answer with any certainty.

There has also been speculation Johnson's debts have been exacerbated by a gambling problem. Asked if gambling had affected Johnson's ability to met his financial obligations, Dykes responded: ''I don't know that.''

Otago captain Derek de Boorder said the team was coping ''pretty well, considering''.

''You can try and draw conclusions between [Johnson's resignation] and the results but I think you'd be going down the wrong track,'' de Boorder said.

''Ross has handled the situation really professionally and kept the boys in the loop as much as he can.

''I guess guys have different emotions toward it. But it is something we've had to deal with. We've got the right support network around and I think it has been handled as best as it can be.''

 

[_Ed_]

Unusual scorecard in the ND-Wellington game so far. Flynn's the only one who's reached double figures, but he seems to be cruising. 42* out of 70-4.

 

[_Ed_]

He's reached 50, and still no one else in double figures!

 

[_Ed_]

And there's his hundred. Amazing effort. The team would be pretty buggered without him!

Good to see Rutherford scoring some big runs in 50-over cricket in the other game. Shame it's against Auckland, though.

 

[vandem]

at Seddon Park:

seamers combined 30-1-175-2
spinners combined 20-4-33-5

Will be an intriguing afternoon battle, can Wgtn's experienced middle order (Elliott / Franklin) work the inexperienced ND spinners for 3 an over and win the game?

 

[_Ed_]

Yeah, will be interesting.

And now Ryder's tearing us apart.

 

[vandem]

... And now Ryder's tearing us apart.

Strange to think that the bowling team would prefer to have ten Doeschate on strike in the last 5 overs of a 1 day game !

 

[SteveNZ]

Anyone recall the last time a keeper batted at jack, ala Rory for ND?

 

[hendrix]

I'm a big fan of Daniel Flynn. Of all the domestic batsmen that might get a shot at a return to international cricket (Papps, How used to be in contention, Redmond etc) I'd like to see him getting another go.

Also. Come on Jesse. Please give us another couple of years of international cricket. Please.

 

[Binkley]

I'm a big fan of Daniel Flynn. Of all the domestic batsmen that might get a shot at a return to international cricket (Papps, How used to be in contention, Redmond etc) I'd like to see him getting another go.

I am a Flynn fan (flim-flam?) too. He seemed to me to have the skill and application, but a few dents to his confidence in an NZ shirt and his game just seemed to fall to pieces.

Also, interesting to note that in the past few one-dayers Sodhi has been picking up wickets and keeping the runs-scoring under control.

 

[_Ed_]

Also, interesting to note that in the past few one-dayers Sodhi has been picking up wickets and keeping the runs-scoring under control.

Yep, really encouraging signs.

The 2nd innings scoring still hasn't started on blackcaps.co.nz for Otago-Auckland - rain?

 

[Bahnz]

Sodhi continues his strong Ford Trophy campaign (admittedly on a pitch that appears to favour the spinners). Not entirely surprising I suppose. His faster pace and flatter trajectory is probably more suited to LO cricket at this point. There's also the fact that batsmen will be under more pressure to attack his bowling which could bring his well-disguised (by NZ standards) googly into play more often.

 

[jcas0167]

Slightly tense finale in Hamilton - can Wellington not screw up this run chase?

Meanwhile, rain in Auckland. Otago really can't catch a break in this competition.

 

[_Ed_]

Invercargill in late March is always going to be a bit iffy, I guess.

Whoa, wickets tumbling for Wellington now! This is getting tense.

 

[hendrix]

Sodhi continues his strong Ford Trophy campaign (admittedly on a pitch that appears to favour the spinners). Not entirely surprising I suppose. His faster pace and flatter trajectory is probably more suited to LO cricket at this point. There's also the fact that batsmen will be under more pressure to attack his bowling which could bring his well-disguised (by NZ standards) googly into play more often.

a certain South African leg spinner also does fairly well in ODIs, so it's inadvisable to read too much into it.

A reasonable degree of erraticism seems to work well for a fair number of bowlers in limited overs cricket. Thinking McCleneghan, Finn, Starc, Tahir etc. A run-rate of 5 is very good in ODIs nowadays so the boundary ball is acceptable. It's a massive liability in test cricket though.

 

[hendrix]

also, loving Jeets' figures. He is the best spinner in NZ and probably the only one better than Williamson.

 

[_Ed_]

I'm glad Wellington were able to limp home - their spinners bowled brilliantly and deserved the win. But the batsmen nearly made a meal of it!

 

[GingerBreadMan]

also, loving Jeets' figures. He is the best spinner in NZ and probably the only one better than Williamson.

Athlai to load everywhere

 

[Prince EWS]

Sodhi continues his strong Ford Trophy campaign (admittedly on a pitch that appears to favour the spinners). Not entirely surprising I suppose. His faster pace and flatter trajectory is probably more suited to LO cricket at this point. There's also the fact that batsmen will be under more pressure to attack his bowling which could bring his well-disguised (by NZ standards) googly into play more often.

You have more protection for your pies in limited overs cricket too. Jason Krejza for example was always a better T20 and OD spinner in Australian domestic cricket than he was a Sheffield Shield bowler.