First-round winners Lansdowne and Wairarapa College will clash in the feature Umpire's Cup senior men's interclub cricket fixture at Rathkeale College tomorrow.
Lansdowne opened their account with a three-wicket victory over Greytown last Saturday, thanks in the main to some impressive batting from Wairarapa representatives Henry Cameron (79) and Brock Price(50) and some equally impressive bowling from Price, Leighton Calkin and Choi Jackson.
Wairarapa College dominated all aspects of their match against Red Star after they won the toss and captain Gordon Reisima decided to bat. At 13-2, they looked in strife but a 108-partnership between Matthew Stringfellow (62) and Daniel Ingham (55) steered them through to a healthy 207-9 from their 45 overs.
Red Star's innings never really got going and they were all out for just 78, Chris Wenden being the only batsmen to show any real resistance. Bowling for Wairarapa College, Quinton McKenna finished with 4-15 off his seven overs.
On paper, the greater depth of Lansdowne should be enough to give them the edge tomorrow, but limited-overs cricket is always difficult to predict and, in players of the calibre of Stringfellow and Ingham, the students can't be discounted.
The other Umpire's Cup fixture at Rathkeale tomorrow will be that between Rathkeale and Greytown and the young Rathkeale side is likely to struggle against a Greytown side that has experience and talent to burn. They will have been disappointed by their loss to Lansdowne and will see tomorrow's match as a royal chance to bounce back with a big win.
