Wairarapa confident in their Mann

Rathkeale College all-rounder Josh Mann is the surprise inclusion in the Wairarapa senior men's cricket team to play Wanganui in a Hawke Cup elimination match in Wanganui tomorrow and Sunday.

It will be Mann's first appearance at this level but Wairarapa selector-coach Mark Brown is confident he will rise to the occasion.

"We've had our eye on him for a while now and think he is ready for the step up," Brown said.

Mann bowls at a lively medium pace and usually bats in the middle of the order.

Another string to his bow is his sharpness in the field, not surprising considering he was the reserve goalkeeper for Wairarapa United during last winter's successful Chatham Cup football campaign.

Mann will be one of three Rathkeale College first XI players in the Wairarapa squad, the other two, Ben Foster and Harry Clinton-Baker, having already done a good job for them this season.

The loss of captain Greg Todd through Central Stags commitments is a blow to Wairarapa but his absence has been softened to some degree by the return of Daniel Ingham who, like Todd, is capable of doing the business with bat and ball.

Also returning to the fold is Robbie Spiers, who gets his chance with the wicketkeeping gloves after Paul Lyttle was ruled out with a thumb injury.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect to the Wairarapa selection is the batting order, with all 12 players named in the squad having the ability to shine in that department.

It is likely that Todd's replacement in the captaincy role, Mark Childs, will go with Tim Lucas and Jamie Holmes as his two openers but any number of options are available from three to "tail-end Charlie".

The Wairarapa squad is: Peter Borren, Henry Cameron, Mark Childs, Harry Clinton-Baker, Ben Foster, Jamie Holmes, Daniel Ingham, Tim Lucas, Josh Mann, Robbie Spiers, Matthew Stringfellow, Dean van Deventer.

On the club scene, matches will continue in the Bidwell Cup senior men's competition tomorrow.

The one-innings format will be in vogue when Turkey Red Greytown play Wairarapa College at Greytown and Flight Centre Lansdowne take on Red Star at Park Sports No1, and with all teams missing key players because of the clash with the Hawke Cup fixture, much will depend on the quality of their replacements.