The Captain's Blog - 1st Edition

Each week we go behind the scenes to find out what the captains think about up coming games, their team performance in the latest games and stand out players.

The Captains’ Blog will be updated regularly throughout the season so make sure you log on regularly to get all the latest updates and news from inside the changing rooms and out on the pitch.

Gareth Hopkins

Captain - Auckland Aces

Our goal this season is to win the four day competition again. It would be great to win back to back seasons for the four day format and we are working hard towards that goal.

Our preseason has been very strong and it’s the best preseason the team has had since I’ve been playing. We are the fittest and strongest we’ve ever been and have been training since July with a full time fitness trainer.

With the weather the way it’s been we haven’t had a lot of time outside so we are looking forward to getting onto the park.

We start the season against the Central Stags in Napier and we are hoping to win the opening game. For me it’s about the continuation of the momentum from the preseason build up. It’s also about consistency. For the bowlers it’s about line and length and for the batsman it’s about staying at the crease.

The player everyone will be keeping an eye on is import and English cricketer Ravi Bopara. He’s only arrived this week, so we’ve got him in the nets. We look forward to seeing what he can do this season.

We’ve also got a number of players who played their debut season in 2008/09 and I hope they can carry on their good form from last season. The likes of Anaru Kitchen and Tarun Nethula will be ones to watch.

Kruger van Wyk

Captain -Canterbury Wizards

Although it has been a cold preseason we are looking forward to getting into the summer and starting with the Plunket Shield. The team has bonded really well during the preseason and we are excited about the season ahead.

We have a few new faces as well as some returning faces to the team. Chris Martin is back from Auckland and has started a family here in Christchurch so it’s great to have him back. We also have Rob Nicol from Auckland and Jason Donnelly who have fitted really well into the team. I hope they are enjoying their time with us and I look forward to seeing them step up for the Wizards.

Also we see Craig McMillian back in the team after a slight flirt with retirement. He will be available to play the shorter forms of the game and it’s great to have his knowledge and competitiveness.

A couple of guys who are going to have a good season include Peter Fulton, Shanan Stewart and Michael Papps. They have been in the side for a long time and I look forward to them leading the way.

Ultimately our goal is to win all three competitions but at the same time we don’t want to look that far ahead. We are looking at the processes before every game and treating every game as a final. If we do that the silverware will come.

We start our season at the Basin Reserve in Wellington and is has a great feel. We are playing Wellington and there has always been a bit of competition between the two sides. But for us it’s a great way to start the season by facing one of the best teams in the four day format.

Jamie How

Captain - Central Stags

Our season starts against Auckland who beat us in the final of the four day format last year so it would be nice to turn things around.
 
We are quietly confident about this season and have a strong team. We've got a number of experienced players leading the way regarding batting with Mathew Sinclair and Peter Ingram coming off a fantastic season last year and young batsman George worker looks promising as well as Tim Weston who has played a few seasons for us.
 
The Mason/Thompson bowling attack will also play a prominent role within our bowling line up for the Stags this season. Both are very experienced. Young talent Doug Bracewell is also one to watch. However we are a bit disappointed that young gun Mitchell McClenaghan has had injury troubles over the winter and he won't be on the field as much as we like.
 
Although we have been faced with injuries we are still very confident as we have a well balanced team and our goal is to win all three formats. Saying that we are going to try our very best in every game and hopefully we can win every game.
 
We start our season at Nelson Park in Napier which is a great place to play cricket. The wickets and weather are always nice.

James Marshall

Captain - Northern Knights

We open our season against Otago at University Oval in Dunedin. There’s different rivalries between each team however Otago is a team we like to beat and it would be a great start to the season if we could do that.

This season we have been focusing on being the fittest team in the competition and have worked hard on our fitness in the preseason. We are training longer at a higher intensity and hopefully that fitness level can take us to the top and we can get the three trophies.

All the lads in the team have played for the Knights for at least one season. All eyes are going to be on Kane Williamson. He’s a strong batsman and he had a fantastic season last season, so it will be interesting to see how he goes this year.

Brad Wilson is also one to watch. He’s been part of the team for the last four years and this season is the “coming of age” for him. He’s been playing a consistently high level of cricket and we are expecting great things from him.

One fringe player who’s coming through the ranks is Trent Boult. He is still gaining experience and we hope to see him take to the park this summer.

Craig Cumming

Captain - Otago Volts

We are really looking forward to this domestic season taking on Northern Knights in our opening Plunket Shield match.

We’ve had a long build up to this season and although it was great to head to India we are glad the domestic season is finally here.

Our goal is to win all three formats, but for the moment our focus is on the four day competition. We haven’t performed that well over the years but we are starting to improve. Hopefully we can continue our winning ways in the Twenty20 and one day formats while at the same time continue to grow and learn. Every game we play we want to win and we are going to do that during the Plunket Shield.

The squad is looking really good. We’ve got good depth with strong bowlers and batsman. We also have a number of BLACKCAPS within the side and we are not sure of the dynamics when they play, but we want everyone to do well and perform.

Matthew Bell

Captain - Wellington Firebirds

It’s going to be a good season and our goal is to win all three competition formats (Plunket Shield, HRV Cup and one day). In previous seasons we’ve done well in the four day format and we are looking to go one better this season and win the four day competition.

We are also working hard to ensure we reach the finals in the Twenty20 and one day competitions. Once we make it into the finals we are in with a chance.

First up we face Canterbury which I think will be a good challenge to start the season. They have recruited well over the winter and have the likes of Chris Martin back in the side. They’ve also got a strong opening batting duo with Fulton and Papps, so it’s going to be tough, but it will be good to see where we are at.

Just like Canterbury, we have some fresh faces in the team. We’ve got Andy McKay, left arm bowler from Auckland, Cameron Merchant, left hand bat from Northern Districts and Robbie Schaw, right arm leg break bowler from Central Districts. We have recruited well and the additions give us depth and variety.

This depth is a good thing because it also creates healthy competition with the players. They have to work hard to get their place in the team. It also means we can throw a variety of styles at the opposition. Two players to watch this season include Josh Brodie and Harry Boam.