Talented all-rounder Dean van Deventer will join the Wairarapa senior men's cricket squad for their three-day Hawke Cup challenge against Hamilton in Hamilton, starting on Friday.
A star performer with bat and ball in earlier qualifying games Van Deventer was not available for the all-important fixture against Horowhenua-Kapiti in Paraparaumulast weekend, a match in which Wairarapa secured the first innings win which saw them finish at the top of the Central Districts zone two competition.
The seven points earned from that victory took them to 31 points, enough to guarantee them a Cup challenge. Manawatu were runners-up on 29, followed by Wanganui 25, Taranaki 24, Hawke's Bay 22 and Horowhenua-Kapiti 1.
Unfortunately for Wairarapa, however, hopes to have Netherlands captain Peter Borren, who was so impressive in his early-season appearances, on deck in Hamilton have not come to fruition and they will also be without first choice skipper Greg Todd, who is part of the Central Stags squad which has made Sunday's one-day national competition final.
Injury niggles to two of their more experienced campaigners, Seth Rance and stand-in captain Mark Childs, are causing some consternation in the Wairarapa camp too.
Rance, the spearhead of the pace attack, is battling a sore shoulder while wicketkeeper Childs took a hefty blow on a finger at Paraparaumu.
Selector-coach Mark Brown and his assistant, Brian James, planned to name the 12 players to travel to Hamilton after training last night and, providing Rance and Childs are both passed fit, the big poser for them will be who from the side which took the field against Horowhenua-Kapiti makes way for Van Deventer.
And they will also need to take into account that whereas all 12 players are able to be given match time during qualifying games - a bowler can be left out of the batting line-up but still bowl - the 11 who start in Hamilton will be involved for the full three days.
No matter what the final composition of his side, Brown is confident Wairarapa will give a strong account of themselves against a Hamilton team whose powerful batting order could be strengthened by the inclusion of Black Cap BJ Watling.
"You don't get as far as we've got without being a very good side, we've got every reason to believe we can come up trumps again," he said, adding that with the Hawke Cup able to be won on the first innings a good start would be vital to the Wairarapa cause.
"You have to hit your straps early, that's very important."
