The STATE Max tournament heralds an exciting start to the summer of domestic cricket

The STATE Max tournament heralds an exciting start to the summer of domestic cricket
New Zealand Cricket - 14 November 2001

New Zealand's domestic cricket season opens this weekend with the State Max competition at Auckland's North Harbour Stadium.

The country's top six provincial teams will be competing in a knockout challenge, with many past and future CLEAR Black Caps turning out to represent their provinces.

Spectators can expect exhilarating and competitive cricket as players on the fringe of national selection for higher honours strive to be noticed.

The draw for the weekend is as follows:

Friday November 16

Game A - State Canterbury Wizards v State Central Stags (10.00am start)

Game B - State Northern Knights v State Otago Volts (2pm start)

Saturday November 17

Game C - Winner Game A v Winner Game B (9.45am start)

Game D - State Auckland Aces v State Wellington Firebirds (2pm start)

Sunday November 18

Game E - Winner Game C v Loser Game D (9.45am start)

FINAL - Winner Game D v Winner Game E (2pm start)

SKY Television is providing live coverage of the games being played on Saturday and Sunday.

Coaches and players are all keen to blow off the cobwebs of the winter break and kick-start their summer with an action packed weekend of State Max cricket.

State Central Stags
The State Stags are looking to build on the nucleus of last year's team with the addition of several all-round performers. With a strong Max batting line up the State Stags bowling line up will be supplemented by the return of Lance Hamilton and Mike Mason.
State Stags coach Dipak Patel said, that despite rain delaying the team's transfer to outdoor training, preparation was moving ahead.
"We're very strong in our batting, with some really exciting players like David Kelly. We also have talented bowlers coming back from injury who will strengthen us immeasurably. Bowling was our weakness last year," he said.

State Wellington Firebirds
A new look State Wellington Firebirds team will be taking the field at North Harbour Stadium. Notably absent will be last year's top performer, Roger Twose. However, the evergreen Richard Petrie will be making a return and can be expected to make his usual high contribution with both the bat and ball.
Vaughan Johnson, coach of the State Firebirds, was keen to start the domestic season on a high note.
"We've been working on a new strategy to counter the loss of Twose," he said, but he wouldn't elaborate on that strategy in advance of the competition.
"Hopefully our bowling attack will continue to be the strength it has been in the past, which would then give us a good platform to build on."

State Auckland Aces
The State Aces will look to field one of the strongest teams in the competition this year, with the return of players such as Andre Adams, Tama Canning, Llorne Howell, Aaron Barnes and captain Matthew Horne.
State Aces coach Tony Sail expects to pick some attacking batsmen from around the Auckland region to strengthen his ranks and provide plenty of scoring options. Look out for Kyle Mills and Richard Morgan who were dominant in last year's competition.
"I think that bowling is the most important aspect of Max cricket, despite the focus on batting. The State Wellington Firebirds have done well in the past because their bowlers have been able to bowl tight and hit the wickets. They also have good depth of the right type of bowlers," said Sail.
"We don't expect to have any weaknesses, and you can look forward to us being a good fielding outfit."

State Canterbury Wizards
Whittling down the large State Canterbury Wizards squad to pick a State Max team has been hard work for State Wizards coach Michael Sharpe. He expects the team to be stable this year with the availability of proven campaigners Chris Harris and Brad Doody. "We're still looking at the development of our younger batsmen, so we will have to be careful there. We have some hard-hitting bowlers like Warren Wisneski that can balance things out though," said Sharpe.
"I always look to win, and that's the way we're going into it. Let's just say we're not going up there for a picnic."

State Otago Volts
The State Volts are currently in a transition phase that leaves them as something of an unknown quantity heading into the Max weekend. Missing last years Super Man of the Super Max League Karl O'Dowda, they are looking to bring in some younger players who are specialists at hitting the Max Zone.
State Volts coach Glen Turner is looking forward to challenging some of the stronger teams.
"Our team will have all-round strength, and no major weaknesses. We have plenty of bowlers who can find the fence. In State Max the bowlers are coming in at eight and nine and having to play an innings in two or three balls. That means that those coming in down the order have to be able to bat a little," he said.

State Northern Knights
The State Knights don't expect to make any changes from last year's team, with a core of experience and some exciting young players making them one of the danger teams of the competition. An all-round line-up, expect fireworks from Scott Styris and Mark Bailey with the bat, and Simon Doull and Joseph Yovich with the ball. Look out for the Marshall brothers who will also be looking to catch the eyes of the CLEAR Black Caps selectors. When asked who his top players would be, State Knights coach Bruce Blair didn't hesitate to answer that all 12 would be his best.
"We've been working with a positive attitude, and are going to remain positive and work hard, all summer," he said.

New Zealand Cricket is transporting 600 school children in on Friday to watch the first day of the State Max tournament at North Harbour Stadium.

A big step for North Harbour Stadium has been the completion of the Cricket Oval, which is situated behind the main grandstand.

New Zealand's newest first-class cricket venue, the Oval is surrounded by a grass embankment that will allow the crowd to be close to the action, similar to Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton or Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North.

The wicket itself was laid last May, and is described by Auckland Crickets' Turf Manager Warwick Sisson as "excellent".

If a game is abandoned because of rain, or if the two opposing team's scores are tied, a "Bowl Out" will decide the winner.

In a "Bowl Out" five players from each side bowl two deliveries (overarm) each at a wicket (three stumps) from the bowling crease at the opposite end of the 22 yard wicket.

The side that bowls down the wicket the most times shall be the winner. If the scores are equal a 'sudden death' bowl off will take place.

All visitors to the ground are invited to park in Car Park B, the entrance of which is off Don McKinnon Drive.

CEO of New Zealand Cricket, Martin Snedden, had this to say about the launch of the season,

"State Max cricket is a great way to start the domestic season with some fast paced cricket action. It provides the players with an opportunity to hone their skills before entering the longer versions of the game, and also gives the public a chance to see what's on offer. A lot of work has gone into preparing North Harbour Stadium, New Zealand's newest first-class venue, which will provide an interesting backdrop to the competition. Importantly, many of the matches are being televised on SKY, which helps raise the profile of domestic cricket, the feeder of the highest levels of the game. It's a fantastic way to launch State's national sponsorship of domestic cricket."

A Player of the Tournament, selected by the SKY Commentary team, will be awarded with prize money of $500.

TEAMS FOR STATE MAX WEEKEND

State Canterbury Wizards
Chris Harris (Captain)
Brad Doody
Darron Reekers
Mark Hastings
Peter Fulton
Cleighten Cornelius
Gareth Hopkins
Paul Wiseman
Warren Wisneski
Hayden Shaw
Stephen Cunis
Carl Anderson
Ryan Burson
Michael Sharpe (Coach)

State Otago Volts
Chris Gaffaney (Captain)
Andrew Hore
Craig Cumming
Jordan Sheed
Craig Pryor
Scott Waide
Simon Beare
Evan Marshall
James McMillan
Kerry Walmsley
David Sewell
Martyn Croy
Glenn Turner (Coach)

State Auckland Aces
Matt Horne (Captain)
Llorne Howell
Aaron Barnes
Andre Adams
Tama Canning
Kyle Mills
Tane Topia
Richard Morgan
Reece Young
Chris Drum
Rob Nicol
Terry Crabb
Tony Sail (Coach)

State Wellington Firebirds
Richard Jones (Captain)
Phil Chandler
Scott Golder
Grant Donaldson
Chris Nevin
Shane Battock
Matthew Walker
Paul Hitchcock
James Franklin
Mayu Pasupati
Andrew Penn
Mark Jefferson
Richard Petrie
Vaughn Johnson (Coach)

State Central Stags
Campbell Furlong (Taranaki - Captain)
David Kelly (Hawke's Bay)
John Nelson (Marlborough)
Peter McGlashan (Hawke's Bay)
Jamie How (Manawatu)
Richard King (Hawke's Bay)
Bevan Griggs (Manawatu)
Andrew Schwass (Nelson)
Ewen Thompson (Wairarapa)
Michael Mason (Manawatu)
Brent Hefford (Marlborough)
Gareth West (Manawatu)
Dipak Patel (Coach)

State Northern Knights
Robbie Hart (Bay of Plenty - Captain)
Scott Styris (Thames Valley - Vice Captain)
Graham Aldridge (Bay of Plenty)
Simon Andrews (Hamilton)
Mark Bailey (Hamilton)
Grant Bradburn (Thames Valley)
Ian Butler (Counties Manukau)
Simon Doull (Hamilton)
Matthew Hart (Bay of Plenty)
Jaden Hatwell (Hamilton)
James Marshall (Northland)
Hamish Marshall (Northland)
Joseph Yovich (Northland)
Bruce Blair (Coach)

Teams	New Zealand.
First Class Teams	Auckland, Canterbury, Central Districts, Northern Districts, Otago, Wellington.
Players/Umpires	Lance Hamilton, Michael Mason, Dipak Patel, David Kelly, Roger Twose, Richard Petrie, Vaughn Johnson, Andre Adams, Tama Canning, Llorne Howell, Aaron Barnes, Matt Horne, Kyle Mills, Richard Morgan, Michael Sharpe, Chris Harris, Brad Doody, Warren Wisneski, Karl O'Dowda, Glenn Turner, Scott Styris, Mark Bailey, Simon Doull, Joseph Yovich, Hamish Marshall, James Marshall, Bruce Blair, Martin Snedden, Darron Reekers, Mark Hastings, Peter Fulton, Cleighten Cornelius, Gareth Hopkins, Paul Wiseman, Hayden Shaw, Stephen Cunis, Carl Anderson, Ryan Burson, Chris Gaffaney, Andrew Hore, Craig Cumming, Jordan Sheed, Craig Pryor, Scott Waide, Simon Beare, Evan Marshall, James McMillan, Kerry Walmsley, David Sewell, Martyn Croy, Tane Topia, Reece Young, Chris Drum, Rob Nicol, Terry Crabb, Richard Jones, Phil Chandler, Scott Golder, Grant Donaldson, Chris Nevin, Shane Battock, Matthew Walker, Paul Hitchcock, James Franklin, Mayu Pasupati, Andrew Penn, Mark Jefferson, Campbell Furlong, John Nelson, Peter McGlashan, Jamie How, Richard King, Bevan Griggs, Andrew Schwass, Ewen Thompson, Brent Hefford, Gareth West, Robbie Hart, Graeme Aldridge, Simon Andrews, Grant Bradburn, Ian Butler, Matthew Hart, Jaden Hatwell.
Tournaments	State Max