Odds against Auckland

Press, 26 December 1987, Page 34

Odds against Auckland

PA Auckland The Auckland cricket team could be forgiven if it feels the odds rather stacked against it when it opens the Shell Cup campaign against Northern Districts at Eden Park today. Auckland is the only province of the six not to have bolstered ranks with an overseas professional.

Northern has the services of Graeme Hick — recognised already as one of the world’s leading batsmen even before he plays test cricket. Wellington has the Australian leg-spinner, Bob

Holland, Canterbury the West Indian superstar, Michael Holding, Otago the Northamptonshire fast bowler, Neil Mallender, and Central Districts the Somerset batsman, Richard Harden. But Auckland, fielding one of its least experienced teams for many a year, has opted to continue the practice of not playing visiting professionals. The chief selector, Ross Dykes, said: “I believe that if we played professionals this season we would deny people like Steve Brown the oppor-

tunity of playing for Auckland.” Brown is one of the newcomers to representative cricket — the fast bowler, Richard de Groen, is the other — and others in the Auckland team have played only a few games. While the temptation to strengthen the Auckland side by including a professional or two is great, Mr Dykes said he was certain Auckland was better served by playing its own talent. “We have eight players in Australia with the New

Zealand team and another four — Peter Webb, Trevor Franklin, John Reid and Gary Troup — unavailable this year,” he said. “I believe the reason that we have eight players in Australia is we have given local players a chance.” Mr Dykes accepts that Auckland has a hard job against some of the professional and experienced players of other provinces but feels that his team’s comparative inexperience is not necessarily a disadvantage.