Unfancied Central Districts ready to surprise Twenty20 big guns

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The cards have not fallen Central Districts' way in the leadup to cricket's Twenty20 Champions League, but coach Alan Hunt is confident they will have a joker to play when the tournament starts in South Africa this weekend.

Injuries and unavailability have hampered Central's buildup with three key players – Ross Taylor, who is playing for Bangalore, Jacob Oram and Graham Napier (both injured) – missing and their preparation having been largely restricted to indoor net sessions.

Add to the mix the fact they have drawn a tough pool, and the odds appear stacked against the New Zealand champions in the lucrative tournament that pits the leading Twenty20 teams from India, Australia, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and West Indies against each other.

But Hunt is banking on the element of surprise ahead of their first match against Indian champions Chennai in Durban tomorrow.

"The other teams will be looking at us thinking we're a team to beat, and that's probably fair when you line up the numbers and the playing staff, but the reality is we've got a number of unknown quantities and I think we might surprise a few people," he said.

"We've got some young bowlers and batsmen who haven't been seen before, and they're all very capable, so I think we may fare better than what the opposition expects."

Among the lesser known players are 18-year-old pace bowlers Adam Milne and Ben Wheeler, who are relishing the opportunity to work alongside recently retired New Zealand speedster Shane Bond, Central's bowling coach.

Milne burst on to the first-class scene toward the end of last season, taking 11 wickets at an average of 27.54 in three matches, while Wheeler, a New Zealand under-19 representative last season, is touted by Hunt as a player for the future.

Left-arm quick Mitchell McClenaghan returns after a year on the sidelines with a hip injury and, while not yet 100 per cent fit, is expected to spearhead the attack alongside veteran Michael Mason.

Central's batting lineup looks settled with experience in the form of current or former internationals Jamie How, Mathew Sinclair and Peter Ingram, with middle to lower order support from the likes of Tim Weston, wicketkeeper Bevan Griggs, Brendon Diamanti and powerful hitter Kieran Noema-Barnett.

"We're coming in under the radar a little bit. We're not very well known as a group, but we've got some senior players who I feel will step up and put in a good tournament. I feel pretty confident of that," Hunt said.

"But the reality is until we get on the ground and see what the opposition bring, you can do all the analysis in the world and not be sure if you're ready."

Central open their campaign against the Stephen Fleming-coached Chennai followed by matches next week against Victoria (Australia), the Warriors (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) and Wayamba (Sri Lanka).

There are two groups of five teams with the top two in each pool moving on to the semifinals after the completion of round-robin play.

- © Fairfax NZ News