Bidwell Cup front-runners Red Star can expect a stern tussle with Turkey Red Greytown at Greytown in the only senior men's inter-club cricket match in the Wairarapa this weekend.
The home team are likely to be close to full strength for one of the few times this season, with rep players Tim Lucas, Seth Rance, Mark Childs and Paul Lyttle probably back on deck.
The shoulder strain suffered by pace bowler Rance when playing for Wairarapa in their Hawke Cup challenge match with Hamilton last Saturday seems certain to restrict his involvement to batting, and his power hitting always make him a threat in that department.
Red Star are already guaranteed a place in next weekend's Bidwell Cup final, in which they will clash with fellow Masterton-based club Flight Centre Lansdowne.
The Cup points table has Red Star on 96 points, followed by Lansdowne on 89, Greytown with 78, Wairarapa College 47 and Rathkeale College 31.
That Red Star have profited from having no players in the Wairarapa squad cannot be argued, but at the same time there has been a great deal to admire about the consistency they have shown in the batting and bowling spheres.
In the likes of Joe Hull, Jared Watt, Aaron Wilson and Peter Sigvertsen they have a group of experienced campaigners whose tactical nous often produces good results.
Interestingly, this weekend's combatants share the lead in the More FM T20 competition.
Greytown and Red Star are up front there with 16 points, followed by Lansdowne on 12 and Wairarapa College and Rathkeale both on 4.
It is tight at the top of the points table in the open grade championship. Marist Old Boys and Wairarapa College share the lead with 26 points. Kuranui College are on 24 and Greytown on 22. Then come Red Star 2 with 14, Wairarapa College Colts on 12, Rathkeale College 2 who have 10, Trevs Sports Lansdowne with 8 and Chanel and Anderson Meats Lansdowne, both on 6.
Kuranui College ended Marist Old Boys' unbeaten run with a 30-run victory in a match played at Kuranui last weekend.
Batting first, Kuranui reached 166, thanks largely to the 97 scored by Alex Glengarry. In fact, the only other player to get into double figures was Matthew Glengarry, who made 13. Bowling for Marist Old Boys, Colin Jones took 3-35 from his eight overs, Jeremy Sargent 2-27 and Ben Harlow 2-27.
The loss of early wickets hurt Marist Old Boys and although Adam Stephen (53) and Jones (20) shared a 103-run partnership they finished their innings on 136-8. Nathan Kapene bowled well for Kuranui in taking 2-22, while 14-year-old Walter Barber finished with 2-31.
The open grade T20 points table is: Greytown 2 22, Red Star 2 20, Trevs Sports Lansdowne 14, Kuranui College 12, Lansdowne Blue Knights 10, Marist Old Boys 8, Anderson Meats Lansdowne 6 and Wairarapa College 2 4.