All rounder keen to gain slot with Stags

Seth Rance is a man on a mission.
The Greytown cricket all-rounder, who has just turned 22, is determined to build on the progress he made last season when he was promoted to the Central Stages line-up for two of their national four-day championship matches.
It was Rance's first taste of cricket at that level and he is thirsting for more, thus he is "rapt to bits" at already being named in a 20-strong Stags squad to attend two training camps in Napier in October.
As one of six non-contracted players in that squad Rance knows he has the job in front of him to attain a regular berth for the Stags in four-day, one-day or Twenty20 games but just knowing he is in the reckoning is enough to have him champing at the bit.
"I'm as keen as mustard to get going again. I can't wait," Rance said yesterday "The sooner the better for me."
Pre-season training for Rance actually started about three months ago and he has been working hard on honing his talents in both the batting and bowling departments.
From a Stags viewpoint it is his expertise as a medium pace, right arm bowler which has most attracted attention but Central Districts coach Dermot Reeve has also given him a "couple of things" to sort out in his batting and the early focus has been on implementing that advice.
"It's nothing major, just a slight change in technique," Rance said.
The good news for Wairarapa cricket is that despite his elevation to the first-class scene Rance won't be following in the footsteps of other players of that ilk who have left the smaller provinces and headed for the big smoke with the idea of enhancing their careers.
Rance has been a vital component of the Wairarapa senior men's team for some seasons now through his ability to take early wickets as an opening bowler and score quick runs as a middle to lower order batsman and he "very definitely" intends to keep playing his club cricket for Greytown.
"Quite honestly I don't see any reason to move," he said. "I've got where I am playing in Wairarapa so why should I go anywhere else, I"m happy here and I'm staying here."
Rance has, however, heard the rumours that some other leading Wairarapa players are seriously considering playing their club cricket in Wellington this year, thereby jeopardising their chances of playing for Wairarapa in their Hawke Cup and Chapple Cup programmes.
He said he would "very disappointed" if that was the case because it would have the two-fold effect of weakening the local club competition and harming Wairarapa's chances of making a decent impact on the inter-provincial scene.
"We almost got ourselves a Hawke Cup challenge last year and if we can keep most of those players together again we can actually get that far, I'm absolutely sure of that", he said.
A tentative schedule has been released for Hawke Cup matches in 2008-09 and the draw for Wairarapa is: v Taranaki in Masterton on November 14 and 15, v Horowhenua-Kapiti in Levin on November 21 and 22, v Wanganui in Wanganui on December 5 and 6, v Hawke's Bay in Masterton on January 16 and 17, v Manawatu in Masterton on January 30 and 31.
There is also the possibility of Wairarapa being involved in a series of one-day matches to be played at Fraser Park, Upper Hutt, over three consecutive weekends in October. Opposition there could come from Horowhenua-Kapiti, Taita and Johnsonville.