Cricket: Thompson looking to rediscover form

Dominic Thompson with mum Liz Wood.

IT ISN'T unusual for youngsters returning from their first year of university studies to find their cricketing prowess has lost some of its sheen.

The daily demand of lectures, tutorials and a rash of exams coming out of winter drains them mentally and physically.

But that, Dominic Thompson, argues isn't the issue in his case.

The Otago University commerce degree student can't put his finger on why the runs have dried up for him this summer in the Property Brokers Hawke's Bay premier men's competition for his Ruahine Motors Central Hawke's Bay side.

"It's been pretty lean since I've come back to Hawke's Bay.

"I've trained well in winter and played four games for my Northeast Valley Cricket Club in Dunedin," says the 19-year-old, who bats at No4 for CHB.

"I'm not really getting the runs I want to," Thompson says.

What he accepts is that it was never going to be easy batting at No 6 for the Pay Excellence Hawke's Bay senior men's rep team.

A talented right-hander, the former Lindisfarne College pupil has played four Hawke Cup games and a one-dayer against Bay of Plenty in Taupo.

Bay player/coach Mathew Sinclair is happy with the teenager, even entrusting him with wicketkeeping duties before the two-day Hawke Cup match starting at Nelson Park, Napier, today against Horowhenua-Kapiti.

Thompson hadn't kept wickets for almost two years but it all came rushing back once he slipped the gloves on in the rampant 10-wicket victory over cup holders Manawatu in Palmerston North last month despite the team mourning the death of teammate Liam Rukuwai's mother.

"You watch the ball when you're fielding but when you're behind the stumps you actually see how the pitch is playing," Thompson says.

The Stevie Smidt-skippered Bay men's chances took a nose-dive when they lost by first innings away to Taranaki early last month in the game before Manawatu.

Sinclair wasn't available because of TV commentary duties during the domestic T20 competition in Napier.

Import player Indika Senarathne is unavailable due to club duties so Taradale wicketkeeper Luke Kenworthy returns.

Thompson, who is competing in the 10-day NZ U19 tourney in Christchurch from Monday, expects experienced Kenworthy to keep wickets despite both of them training this week.

-Hawke's Bay: Stevie Smidt (c), Luke Kenworthy (wkt), Ben Fair, Graeme Tryon, Mathew Sinclair (coach), Dominic Thompson, Jayden Wiggins, Jayden Lennox, Casey Rangi, Blair Tickner, Jeremy Kuru, Liam Rukuwai, Charlie Robson.