White Fern Kate Pulford has been drafted into the Wairarapa senior women's cricket team for the annual Central Districts tournament in Palmerston North over Labour weekend. A top order batsman and useful medium pace bowler, Pulford plays her club cricket in Canterbury and her provincial cricket for Central Districts. She has beenin outstanding early-season form, scoring 147 for her Christchurch-based club over the past weekend. Having a current New Zealand team member as part of their side at the Palmerston North tourney is nothing new for Wairarapa. Over the past couple of years they have been led by national captain Maia Lewis, who plays her club cricket in the capital. It was hoped that Lewis would be available again in 2004, but Wellington has a shortage of quality players available for the event and Lewis will be playing for them this time. Wairarapa selector Grant Perry is delighted to have the services of a player of Pulford's calibre. "She should be tremendous value with bat and ball," he said. "And as a role model you couldn't ask for much better." With this season's Wairarapa senior women's interclub competition being made up of three college sides-two from Wairarapa College and one from St Matthew's- plus a combined Greytown-Lansdowne team it is hardly surprising that the rep team contains mainly college players. Of the 12 players selected only Pulford, Judy-Ann Butler and Nicole Bouton are not attending secondary school at the present time. The youth of the sides does not mean, however, that they are short on experience. Talented youngsters like Central Districts rep Elizabeth Perry, Wendy Hull, , Morgan Terry and wicketkeeper April Wilton have already had a couple of seasons in the Wairarapa side and won't be over-awed by the occasion. Perry, Hull and Wilton will be expected to lend huge support to Pulford at the top of the batting order while the likes of Perry, Hull, Morgan Terry, Courtney Liggins and spinner Bourton should be prominent with the ball. Manawatu and Hawke's Bay will provide the opposition in limited-overs matches for Wairarapa at the Palmerston North tourney and Grant Perry is optimistic his team will give a strong account of themelves. "Obviously the preparation has been limited but everybody is keen to get going and we should do well," he said.
