Out to bounce back

KNOWN THREAT: Jak Rowe, here bowling for High School Old Boys in last year’s Doleman Cup final against OBR, will add variety to the Poverty Bay attack against Hawke’s Bay Mavericks tomorrow. File picture by Paul Rickard

Back in 2014, Poverty Bay left-arm seamer Jak Rowe terrorised the Hawke’s Bay senior cricket side, taking seven wickets for 14 runs.

Left red-faced by a 17-year-old, Hawke’s Bay were dismissed for 57 in the 50-over match and they were flogged by seven wickets at Harry Barker Reserve.

Tomorrow, Rowe, who plays his club cricket for High School Old Boys, will be at them again.

Poverty Bay will face the Hawke’s Bay Mavericks at Cornwall Park in Hastings. The Kirk Cup, which the two regions contest annually, will be on the line.

Rowe has run into good form ahead of the fixture.

He knocked the top off the OBR batting order last Saturday, taking 3-32 off his eight overs for HSOB.

Ryan Majstrovic, one of the Poverty Bay selectors, said they gave the Hawke’s Bay side a fright last year, restricting them to 136, but then their spinner Jayden Lennox wreaked havoc.

He finished up with the extraordinary figures of nine overs, six maidens, five wickets, for six runs, with Poverty Bay bundled out for 53 in a rain-affected match.

Spin may again loom large for Poverty Bay, who lost seven wickets to the Hamilton second 11 spin duo of Jack Devane and Elliot Santner last Sunday.

Poverty Bay have drafted in their own spinner, overseas professional Nadeera Nawela, who plays his club cricket in Rotorua.

Poverty Bay leg-spinner Parminder Kulaar created chances and gave the ball a lot of air last week, and got through 10 overs, but he appeals more as a part-time option.

“I think we missed a bit of variety at the bowling crease on Sunday, spin aside, so Jak’s left arm gives us the added dimension as well,” Majstrovic said.

After their 210-run loss against the Hamilton side, Poverty Bay will, of course, need to do better with the bat.

Bruce Kerr, who was a prolific runscorer for Poverty Bay last season and who was away last week, comes into the side.

All-rounder Josiah Turner is unavailable because of age-group representative coaching commitments.

Poverty Bay: Andrew Gibbs (c), Parminder Kulaar, David Situ, Bruce Kerr, Nadeera Nawela, Drew Scott, Robbie Tallott, Scott Tallott, Alex Gooding, Paul Stewart, Jak Rowe, Jimmy Holden.