Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Ever since Twenty 20 cricket was introduced to New Zealand a decade and a half ago, debate has raged about the virtues of the smash and bash competition.

T20 initially took the country by storm, with many predicting that the lighting fast competition would overtake one-day cricket in popularity and overwhelm test cricket. What has happened, is that T20 has powered the fifty over per side encounters to new heights, with the once what looked to be improbable barrier of 400 runs in an innings, being broken in international ODI contests.

Fifteen years after T20 introduction in the southern hemisphere, the three forms of the sport have broken into three quite separate camps of supporters. The Australian Big Bash has captured the imagination of a whole new band of cricket fans, who relish the razzmatazz of quick-fire competition, which is over in little more than three hours.

In New Zealand, NZ Cricket's Super Smash has failed to have the same impact, while ODI's attract sellout crowds when the big guns of world cricket come to town. England was the big attraction last year with sell-out crowds at several venues including the Bay Oval. India will do the same this season with a myriad of the games big guns on show.

Test and first class cricket attract the games traditional fans in much smaller numbers in our country. Many of the one-day and T20 followers say that test and domestic four day cricket is boring and there are long periods of little action.

Last week's Plunket Shield encounter, scheduled for four days at the Bay Oval, showed that the longer form of the game can be just as action packed as ODI's and T20 encounters.

The opening round of the Plunket Shield between Northern Districts and Otago, had everything from a myriad of wickets on day one, to a century fightback from an Otago opener to the ND representatives eventually cruising to an eight wicket victory.

When this cricket nut turned up minutes into the match last Wednesday, few could have imagined that the havoc the bowlers from both sides would enjoy on day one. One a wicket that looked to have plenty of early movement, the visitors were bundled out for just 108 before lunch.

Any joy that the Northern Districts would have held, quickly disappeared when they lost their first five wickets with just 21 runs on the big electronic scoreboard. One of Bay of Plenty Cricket's favourite sons in Daniel Flynn, stemmed the damage with a hard fought 27 off 80 balls.

Northern Districts were still in deep trouble, trailing by 26 runs, when another Bay of Plenty Cricket registered player in Trent Boult strode to the middle. Batting at ten, the Black Cap front-line bowler immediately went on attack to hammer his sides top score of 61 (off just 37 balls) in a blitzkrieg that contained 6 fours and 5 big shots over the boundary ropes. Trent's heroics got his side through to a 28 run first innings lead.

Black Cap batsmen Hamish Rutherford was patience personified as he got Otago back in the game, working his way to 105 runs off 205 balls, which greatly helped the visitors to set the home side a 203 run target for victory.

Batting in his usual role at three, Black Cap skipper and home-town hero Kane Williamson showcased his amazing range of shots and skills, as he took ND to an eight wicket victory in a remarkable game of cricket that was over in three days.