The 2019-20 fixture saw Whanganui get through with just two wickets left to claim first-innings points and send stalwart Dominic Rayner into retirement a winner, while last summer, after being well down on first-innings points, veteran Mark Fraser and debutant Shaun O’Leary put on a dynamic 232-run partnership to secure a seven-wicket triumph.
“It couldn’t have worked out better, finishing the season off against them,” Whanganui coach Warren Marr said.
“We know what we’re coming up against. It’s a good opportunity to finish the season on a high.
“It’s always close, to be honest, with Horowhenua-Kapiti.”
Fraser is in Australia and unavailable for this game, while the team’s professional Ben Smith has rejoined the Central Districts Stags.
“Otherwise, this is the team I would have picked,” Marr said.
“It’s the first time we’ve got together, there’s been no club cricket. Some of the boys have had only one to two bats, with the weather.”
While the loss of Ben Smith and Fraser hurts the batting department, the bowling contingent looks strong with Kinnerley cleared to resume a full schedule.
Along with young pace bowler Oscar Mabin and Hawke’s Bay import Liam Hall, this should ease some of the workload from Connor O’Leary’s shoulders, while his family members Hadleigh and Shaun provide options.
Veteran all-rounder Harding also rejoins the lineup.
Again, so much falls on skipper Greg Smith to get runs at the top of the order.
“Greg’s brought a lot to the group, both with the bat, and I still believe he’s one of the best fielders,” Marr said.
“He’s got to score runs, but they all do — we’ve had a chat about that.
“We say we bat deep, but you have to. Now’s the time for a New Year’s resolution to get 300.”
Putting up a couple of good innings is an important achievement Horowhenua-Kapiti has managed during a tough campaign.
Their season started with a first-innings loss at home to The Good Home Taranaki in a two-innings match, while they managed to survive the second day against visiting Subway Manawatu in that first-innings defeat.
There were promising signs away to Hawke’s Bay when, staring at a big outright innings thrashing, they raised 348-7 in their second innings to only lose on first innings.
That momentum propelled them to a first-innings win away against Post Office Hotel Wairarapa, scoring 351-7 after bowling the home side out for 140, Wairarapa digging deep to bat out the match at 253-9.
Opener Bailey Te Tomo was in excellent touch in those matches with scores of 178 and 93, while Prabodha Arthavidu Ellawala Liyanage, skipper Andrew Simpson and middle-order batsman Daniel Browne have contributed.
Bowler Jaedyn Dawson took seven wickets in the Wairarapa game.
Play starts at 10.30am on Saturday and Sunday.
The Whanganui team is Greg Smith (c), Sam Roebuck, Nick Harding, Daniel Burgess, Shaun O’Leary, Carter Hobbs, Hadleigh O’Leary, Ross Kinnerley, Chris Sharrock, Oscar Mabin, Liam Hall, Connor O’Leary.
Combined Twenty20
The push for Top 4 spots will be well and truly on with Cricket Whanganui’s Combined Twenty20 fifth round on Saturday.
All five scheduled matches are to be at Tasman Tanning (Victoria) Park, with the Hunterville Hackers and Wanganui Renegades doing double duty against Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens and Property Brokers United White respectively at 12.30pm, before meeting each other at 3.35pm.
This leads off three straight weekends of Twenty20 games, as the sixth round will be on January 21, followed by the semifinals and final on January 28.
Draw for January 14, Combined Twenty20
Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI v Wanganui Old Boys-Tech
Wicket Warriors Whanganui v Kaitoke Knight Riders
Hunterville Hackers v Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens
Property Brokers Wanganui United White vs Wanganui Renegades
Hunterville Hackers v Wanganui Renegades
Bye: Property Brokers Wanganui United Blue
