Bidwell Cup defending champions Red Star will be largely dependent on the efforts of their allrounders in Wairarapa senior men's club cricket competition play this season.
In Jared Watt, Nikolai Karaitiana and Sean Jarvis they have players capable of making a big impact with bat and ball and Josh Mannwill also be a big asset when he returns from England at the end of the year.
Specialist batsmen expected to make runs at the top of the innings will be Wairarapa representative Joe Hull, Chris Wenden and Troy Burling.
Gun allrounder Greg Todd is in Melbourne and not available this season, while two others who have made decent contributions in recent years, Aaron Wilson and Daniel Stoneley, are unlikely starters because of work commitments.
Hull said a lack of real pace in the Red Star attack would have them focusing on bowling good lines to keep consistent pressure on the opposing batsmen, and accuracy in the field would also be important.
With the batting, too, the onus would be teamwork rather than individual brilliance.
Matches in the Umpire's Cup limited-over series were scheduled to get under way last weekend but they were rained off.
The draw for this Saturday, with umpires in brackets, is: Wairarapa College v Red Star, Wairarapa College artificial at noon (Sprowson); Newbolds Marist Old Boys v Turkey Red Greytown, Rathkeale College artificial No 2 (Elliott and Qualtrough); Rathkeale College v Kuranui Old Boys, Rathkeale College artificial No 1 (Cogdale).
