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

Sidline Sid is genuinely excited by the return of the smash and bash action of Twenty20 cricket to Mount Maunganui in just over four weeks.

Who can forget the three games last season when the Northern Knights put on their pink shirts in support of the NZ Breast Cancer Foundation and thrilled their legion of home crowd fans?

Over 16,000 cricket fans, who streamed into the Bay Cricket Oval to watch the Northern Knights HRV Cup games last season, bears testimony to popularity of the holiday region cricket venue.

In just a few weeks there will be a repeat dose of the HRV Cup at the Bay Oval with even more glitz and glamour of the Twenty20 circus. This year the Northern Knights will feature a tag team of outstanding international talent in their ranks.

Leading the three overseas players who have all played in the IPL in India, is South African Hercelle Gibbs. A master blaster at the batting crease, he is also one of the best fielders in world cricket.

Gibbs became the first batsman to smash six sixes in an over of a One Day International match, blasting the ball over the boundary against the Netherlands in the 2007 World Cup.

Australians Brad Hodge and David Warner have also signed for the Northern Knights' HRV Cup campaign.

There is expected to be a strong Western Bay of Plenty presence in the games against the Otago Volts on December 19, and the Auckland Aces two days after Christmas.

No less than five Western Bay players are contracted to the Knights. The Kiwi player of the moment, Kane Williamson, is sure to bring plenty of admirers along to Bay Oval.

Remarkably Kane has smashed a century in four forms of the game. His 131 in Test cricket makes him the youngest New Zealand batsman to achieve the feat, coupled with 108 in an ODI. In domestic first class cricket, a highest score 192 in a Plunket Shield match and 108 not out in a one-day game, from a youngster who has just turned 20 years of age. This showcases him as a superstar in the making.

Graeme Aldridge, who seems to have been around forever, is bowling as well as ever. The current ND Bowler of the Year keeps on performing season after season. Nearly 200 games, and 400 wickets for the Northern Knights testify to a man considered a real players' player.

Daniel Flynn makes no secret that he wants to regain his place in the Black Caps test squad. A dashing batsman who has a highest score of 95 in test cricket, he actually made his Black Cap debut in a Twenty20 international.

Jono Boult has joined younger brother Trent in the Northern Knights contracted player ranks this season after a brief flirtation at the tail end of last season.

While Jono is primarily a batsman, Trent is a quick bowler of rare ability.

Selected in the Black Caps for the tour of Australia two seasons ago, Trent likes to bang the ball down at the batsmen with plenty of venom. A littler known statistic is that he grabbed two hat-tricks in a single innings in n Attrill Cup match when he was starting to make his name in the game.

I can hardly wait for the Northern Knights to come to town.

Seeya at the Game.