Bright future for Bennett

Sixteen-year-old Wairarapa College student Jesse Bennett has been selected in the Wellington senior women's development squad cricket team to participate at the national development squad tourney at Lincoln University, Christchurch from December 8 to 13.
There they will play a series of 50-over matches against Central Districts, Otago, Auckland, Northern Districts and Canterbury. Bennett starred last weekend when a mixture of Wellington Blaze and development team players met a Hawke's Bay side. Wellington came out on top with Bennett spearheading their attack, taking an impressive 5-19 from five overs. Wellington Blaze coach Mark Borthwick has been "very pleased" with Bennett's progress over the past 12 months and labels her as a youngster with a bright future. It is a sentiment made with first hand knowledge as Borthwick coached the Wellington under-19 development squad which toured South Africa earlier in the year and of which Bennett was a member.
Bennett has also recently been selected to trial for this season's Wellington under-18 secondary schools side and looks a "sitter" for selection in that team. She participates locally in Wednesday evening competition play for the Wairarapa College first XI and on Saturdays travels to Wellington where she plays for the Onslow club's senior women's side.
LANSDOWNE ON TOP
Flight Centre Lansdowne have to be fancying their prospects of beating Rathkeale College outright when their Bidwell Cup senior men's competition match concludes at Rathkeale tomorrow. In fact, only the weather man seems likely to stand between Lansdowne and maximum points after they completed the first day's play with a stunning 206-run first innings lead and had Rathkeale 16-1 in their follow on.
It was the unbeaten 133 by Simon Butler which highlighted the Lansdowne batting effort with his dominance being evidenced by the fact their next highest scorer in a total of 254 was "Mr Extras" with 30.
Once again it was medium pacer Dion van Deventer who stole the limelight with the ball for Rathkeale. He took 7-64 off 20 overs in a grand display of sustained accuracy and fire and will probably need to have a similar impact with the bat tomorrow if his team is to make Lansdowne bat a second time.
Lansdowne, on the other hand, will be looking for their bowlers to show similar consistency to that showed in Rathkeale's first innings when they had the students all out for a paltry 48. Robin James , Mark Scully, Joel Macklin, Choi Jackson and Brock Price give them plenty of depth in the medium pace department.
The Bidwell Cup match which was completed last weekend was between Wairarapa College and Red Star and it petered out to a draw with Wairarapa College taking first innings points.
Red Star made 145 in their first innings to which Wairarapa College replied withy 188, Robbie Anderson leading the way with 61. Red Star was 205-5 in their second innings when stumps were drawn with Brad Edwards showing his best form of the season in a knock of 95 and other good contributions coming from Daniel Stonely (36), Troy Burling (34) and skipper Joe Hull (33).
This weekend sees the Bidwell Cup action between Wairarapa College and Greytown taking place tomorrow and Sunday and an interesting game is in prospect. The result of this game might well depend on how well the college side copes with the skills of the in-form Greytown all rounder Seth Rance who is capable of making a huge impact with bat and ball.
AGE GROUPS
The Wairarapa under-17 and under-15 cricket squads for the 1208-09 season were announced this week. They are:-
Under-17: Matt Stringfellow, Jamie Holmes, Sam Davies, Hayden McKeown, Alex Morrison, Harry Greenwood, Daniel Ingham, Quentin McKenna, Oliver Burt, Adin Crump, Dion Field, Leighton Calkin.
Under-15: Devon Purvis, Patrick Howard, Sammy Holmes, Jock Cameron, Ben Foster, Oliver Walker-Cudy, Mac McKenna, Nick Griffiths, Martin Reisima, Xavier McCluskey, Matthew Mckenzie, Tane Workman.