THE top order batting will come under the microscope when Wairarapa takes on Hawke's Bay in a zone two Hawke Cup qualifying round cricket match at Rathkeale College tomorrow and Sunday.
With specialist opener Mason Hughes unavailable because of Palmerston North Boys High School's participation in the Gillette Cup nationalsecondary schoolboys tournament in Christchurch, Wairarapa will very probably have Lansdowne duo Alex Treseder and Henry Cameron facing the new ball with George Deans at three and Liam Burling at four. How this quartet fares seems certain to have a big say in the end result.
In their outright loss to Manawatu a fortnight back, Wairarapa -- even with Hughes in the side -- were 20-4 in their first innings and 26-7 in their second and nobody has to tell coach Neil Perry how difficult it is to recover from such poor starts.
"It's all about scoring runs and conserving wickets, the two have to go together," he said. " We know we didn't get that part of it right against Manawatu and we're determined to do a whole lot better this time round."
Treseder is one of three newcomers to the Wairarapa squad from that involved in the Manawatu clash. Daniel Ingham, who returned to the club scene last weekend after a stint in the UK, smashed a century for Greytown in double quick time, replaces Brock Price who is battling a foot injury and Ben Foster, also from Greytown, comes in as part of the pace attack in place of Drew MacDonald. Treseder, Ingham and Foster have all performed well for Wairarapa in the past.
It was also hoped that former Black Cap Jesse Ryder, who turned out for Lansdowne last Saturday, would be part of the Wairarapa line-up for this weekend's fixture but he has recovered sufficiently from his thigh strain to be added to the Central Stags squad's forthcoming Twenty20 and limited-overs matches.
The Wairarapa team is: Alex Treseder, Henry Cameron, George Deans, Liam Burling, Robbie Speers, Paul Lyttle, Gordon Reisima, Daniel Ingham, Kelsey Fahey, Ben Foster, Stefan Hook-Sporry and Quintin McKenna.
