All rounder returns

Experienced all-rounder Robin James is a surprise call-up for the Wairarapa senior men's cricket squad to play Horowhenua-Kapiti in their crucial Hawke Cup qualifying match at Paraparaumu tomorrow and Sunday.

James was a regular for Wairarapa for many years before retiring a couple of seasons ago, but has been persuaded to again take up the cudgels this weekend.

That is good news for Wairarapa selectors Mark Brown and Brian James who found themselves without the services of three of their regular players, skipper Greg Todd, Dean van Deventer and Paul Lyttle.

Todd, who has had an outstanding representative season, is committed to the Central Stags, all-rounder Van Deventer is now based in Canterbury and middle order batsman Lyttle has injury hassles.

The loss of Todd and Van Deventer left two big holes to fill in the Wairarapa pace attack and the selectors have opted for the experience of Robin James and the youthful enthusiasm of Wairarapa College's Stefan Hook, who will be making his debut at senior representative level.

James has made a limited number of appearances for Lansdowne on the inter-club scene this season and has been training with the Wairarapa squad over the past fortnight just in case his services were required.

"He (James) knows what rep cricket is all about, we're confident he'll do a good job," Brown said.

Hook has long been in the "promising youngster" category and now gets the chance to show he can handle the next step up. He can work up a useful turn of speed and is capable of bowling long spells.

As expected, the absence of Todd will see wicketkeeper Mark Childs take over the captaincy for a match which will decide whether Wairarapa earns themselves an actual Hawke Cup challenge, probably as early as the following weekend.

The full Wairarapa squad is: Tim Lucas, Jamie Holmes, Henry Cameron, Matthew Stringfellow, Sam Curtis, Mark Childs, Robbie Spiers, Robin James, Daniel Ingham, Seth Rance, Ben Foster and Stefan Hook.

Current zone points see Wairarapa and Taranaki on top with 24 while Hawke's Bay have 23, Wanganui 22 and Horowhenua-Kapiti 0.

If Wairarapa and Taranaki still share the lead after the final series of qualifying games this weekend, Taranaki will almost certainly take the honours on a countback but Brown says that won't change the usual policy of placing the early emphasis on attaining a first innings lead.

The Bidwell Cup senior men's inter-club draw for this weekend has two of the front runners in Red Star and Lansdowne playing at Park Sports 2 tomorrow and Wairarapa College taking on Greytown at Wairarapa College on Sunday.