New City’s best player will miss the finals, if the club makes it.
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English import Saif Zaib will return to Northamptonshire ahead of the county season’s start in April.
“He’ll leave after the ‘Lavi’ game, but we knew that from the moment we got him,” coach Nick McDonald said.
McDonald was quizzed if it’s worth having a player who can’t play finals.
If you can get a first-class player for 99 per cent of your season, in my book, he’s worth it.
- Nick McDonald
“If you can get a first-class player for 99 per cent of your season, in my book, he’s worth it,” he said.
And McDonald went a step further, indicating the success of Zaib and fellow import Sam Grant, who will stay until the end of New City’s season, had changed the club’s philosophy.
“Look, we’ve dabbled in the UK player that plays in the lesser leagues and you really don’t know what you’re going to get, whereas a first-class player you can see what you’re going to get and you’re going to get value for money every single time,” he said.
“So it’s nearly worth it, if you have to spend a little bit extra, it’s not a great deal and, for us moreso, given the (young) age of our group.”
Nineteen-year old Zaib, who’s played six first-class matches, has 489 runs at 40.8, with four half-centuries. He’s also taken 17 wickets at 18.1, with a miserly economy rate of 2.4 runs per over.
After a shock start to the season, which saw the club climb into the top three, the Phoenix is back in sixth after three straight two-day losses.
Five teams are battling for the final four spots, with East Albury (71.68), New City (69.82) and Belvoir (68.24) the most vulnerable.
New City faces the toughest test in the final round against the ladder leaders.
East Albury’s assignment is similar though against third-placed Tallangatta, while Belvoir faces eighth-placed St Patrick’s (62.89), which could mathematically still make finals with a win and favourable results.
Bonus points are set to prove crucial, so it wouldn’t surprise to see at least four games run until the final ball of the season.