The Pink Report
Back to The Pink ReportThe Bronze Medal
Yep, it's the one no one really wants. But even after last night's loss to an electric Brendon McCullum and his Volts team, the Yahoo!NZ Northern Knights can at least console themselves that they finished in the top three for the 2012 HRV Cup.
That's an improvement on the fourth place of the previous two seasons - and when the star-studded team got to play a full, rain-free match (which wasn't often in the middle stages of the comp), there were glimpses of the side's potential to dominate. But in the end they finished a distant third, and will be kicking themselves knowing they could have taken better control of their own destiny.
I've already canvassed the what-ifs of this summer's action in previous columns, so let's spare ourselves anymore of those: they're for the coaches to dissect ahead of next season. The positives? Well how's this for a sample:
• Kane Williamson's T20 bowling. I'd heard rumours that bowling regularly in his County season with Gloucestershire had done Nossy a lot of good, but boy did he perform as an opening slow bowler in this comp. By the time he took the ball last night, we almost expected him to open with a wicket maiden. Not bad for a fellow who could barely crack the Knights' T20 side in the previous two seasons (too good at textbook batting, you understand). Having Kane, Dan Vettori and Anton Devcich all in the same side was an absolute luxury for captain Scotty, especially on the slower/lower tracks and Kane's seven wickets at 5.33 eclipsed even wily ol' Dan's economy rate.
• Scotty's brutish big bat. You just don't get tired off watching Scott Styris go after the bowling, which was all the more necessary when the team got off to sluggish starts with the bat by T20 standards. Enough said. And hopefully we'll see endless replays of him getting Ross Taylor's platinum wicket with a half-volley.
• Ditto Hamish Marshall, whose unbeaten 86 off 45 last night at a strike rate of over 190 included three back-to-back sixes when the run rate desperately needed a lift. Hamish hit the ground running when he turned up, fresh from England, to play for the Knights again this summer and comes across as the consummate globe-trotting pro. Knows his areas so well, plays those lovely strokes square of the block, and remains so nippy between the wickets even with birthday number 33 looming for the Marshall twins. Will probably still be a wee bit disappointed with this campaign, however - the side didn't get off to the kind of powerful top-order starts they needed to really pile run rate pressure on their opponents. There was a bit of a fielding virus going through the team at times in this comp too, but when the Knights field well, it's generally a performance led by the Marshalls. Other teams must just hate coming up against them.
* BJ's case for wicketkeeping in the Blackcaps received a major boost. Pink hats off to the management team for allowing him to display his wares, even with Pete in the team.
• Future stock's looking good. Corey Anderson was buried down the order with a license to go big and bold if he got the chance. Injury bugged him towards the end, but we saw enough of his bat to see that he's the kind of player who could send bowlers to the psychiatrist's couch. Brett Hampton is another young player with a powerful heave, though the selectors couldn't quite squeeze him into the mix until yesterday's dead rubber. The debutant didn't get a bat, and when he finally got a chance to bowl, it was against centurion Brendon McCullum in full flight, which was mean. But if all the raps are right, the prospect of Corey and Brett combining down the order next season could see a whole lot of spectators taking catches on the embankments. Now that would be fun.
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Even though he was playing for the enemy, how cool was it to see a 17-year-old bowler making his debut for the Volts last night? Jacob Duffy still has a year to go at Southland Boys' High where one of his team-mates, Craig Smith, was his PE teacher. Yet he not only got a run with the Volts in their final T20, he got to open their bowling and swamped any nerves he may have been feeling (you imagine there would have been quite a few) with a cracker of a performance.
Jacob produced a double wicket maiden in just his second over of HRV Cup cricket, with both his victims certified Blackcaps. Talk about a dream debut. His bowling was so under control and causing so many problems for the Knights that Brendon McCullum decided to let him bowl his complement of four overs straight, and when he just about clonked one of the Marshalls on the helmet it was clear that he has nice pace.
He's a tallish young man with long bowlers' fingers and one of those disconcerting actions from a batsman's point of view, holding the ball low and slightly behind him as he runs in. The Knights were 37/3 from seven overs and already anxious to pick up their game by the time he finished his maiden spell: he did his job wonderfully and, perversely, hopefully we will see more or him soon.
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Those of you on the ball will have realised that last night was potentially the last time the Yahoo!NZ Northern Knights might have played in pink - the idea introduced three seasons ago for a term of three seasons, in support of The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation. But the concept has gone down so well that I don't see the pink visual symphony ending anytime soon.
And so to the last lot of stats and numbers for the HRV Cup. Not too many Knights ended up featuring on the official national MVP rankings, with Scott (9th) and Hamish (10th) the only ones to feature in the overall top 10. Two Firebirds ended up ahead of them, can you believe.
Hamish was ranked the 6th-best batsman overall in the regular competition, closely followed by Brad Wilson at 7th. Dan Vettori was rated the 7th-best bowler nationally. To be honest, I'm still not convinced the MVP system is a perfect reflection of who's causing the most problems in a comp, but some of the most impressive players and movers this season - Ronnie Hira, Martin Guptill, Tarun Nethula - are sure enough right up there.
Looking at the traditional stats, Scotty Styris delivered one of the best overall strike rates of the season with 164.34. That puts him in a top nine that includes one-game wonder Lou Vincent. Refine the criteria to batsmen who scored over 150 runs in the comp and Scotty sits behind only Dean Brownlie. Hmm, maybe we needed Scotty further up the order on occasion.
Boosted by his strong performance last night, Hamish Marshall scored the most runs for the team with 222, ahead of Scott's 212 and Brad Wilson's 211. That was more than Ross Taylor, Peter Ingram or Brownlie scored all summer, so there. Scott's strike rate of 235.71 against the Stags was also the fourth highest of anyone's in any single innings.
Turning to the bowlers, Tim Southee took the most wickets in the team, his 11 victims just two shy of Ronnie Hira's 13, which was the best of the comp. Economy rate is generally more critical in T20s, and there the honours go to Kane Williamson, whose 5.74 was bettered only by Neil Broom and last night's sensation Jacob Duffy nationally. Dan Vettori was fifth most parsimonious, just a shade behind Ronnie Hira. Scott Styris and Anton Devcich finished in the top 20 stakes, too, underlining the strong influence of slower-paced bowlers on this year's competition. Weather played a part in that, but so did inconsistent line and length from our pacier players.
The HRV Cup final should be a cracker after the Canterbury Wizards claimed the dress rehearsal the other day. The final points tally for the regular competition? They're all moot points now, but here it is for the record. Better luck next year to the Knights, who now turn their attention back to the Ford Trophy.
