Lara was working the right channels

(Two cricket fanatics with their views on world cricket from a Dunedin sofa)

'As a purist, I would have to say I was delighted to see Brian Lara back in the runs last week."

"As a purist also, I would have to say I was delighted to see Warne going for 62 on a wicket that had bounce and was turning square. There is no finer sight in cricket than Shane Warne being butchered to all corners of the ground."

"There isn't, you're absolutely on the button there. You know, there were many critics in the tabloid newspapers who felt Lara's preparation for this tour using an extremely photogenic model would prove counter-productive, but Lara rang me when those headlines hit the fan and he was in no doubt he was working the right channel."

"I didn't know you knew Lara. What did he say?"

"He said 'Sofa, I'm working very hard on this model and it's proving very productive'. I think that unbeaten 116 showed he is a man of his word."

"You have to take your hat off to the man. Just when they were lining up to take his title too - McSkimming from Otago certainly had his cards on the table, as was Richardson and Horne from Otago, Gaffaney from Otago, Hore from Otago, and a couple more, all from Otago."

"And possibly Tendulkar if we are widening the net."

"And possibly Tendulkar if we are widening the net as you say. I think Mark Waugh shouting sweary words at him after his very dubious catch appeal was turned down played a part."

"Well exactly, mate. Lara hadn't scored a run for two months. The last thing you wanted to do was get him angry. I thought Waugh would have played enough cricket to have worked that out. A brighter man would have gone up to Lara and said 'no hard feelings mate, I was just cheating'."

"A dismal end to Otago's Shell Cup run, mate. After three rounds they had the competition by the throat. Then they lost the next six. But I did feel they were very very unlucky."

"They had no luck at all, mate, you're right. I felt for them. That Invercargill wicket where they made 67 was a shocker. Technically you'd have to say Otago were the best side. Call me old-fashioned, but I think they set benchmarks in those first three rounds which teams will be aspiring to reach for many years to come."

"I mean no disrespect to the decision-makers at Otago Cricket, who represent some of the finest minds in the land, but I'd have to say bringing a Canterbury man in to captain Otago players was an incomprehensible move. Canterbury players can only captain Canterbury players."

"You can't captain a side with one eye, cobber, that's proven."

"Precisely. That's why Nash should be captaining New Zealand. Nash has two eyes." "And a knackered back."

"Mate, I'd play Nasher if he had two broken legs and a fork sticking out of one eye. In fact I remember him playing in exactly that condition in a club game down here after a particularly gruelling student party the night before. From memory, he scored 32 and took 3/10. I tell you, the man was born to lead."