Whanganui's United hope depth is enough in New Plymouth

Crucial partnership: Greg Smith, and Tom Lance will need to get United on the front foot with the bat when they face New Plymouth Marist United at Pukekura Park tomorrow.

Property Brokers United will take just about their strongest team to Pukekura Park today in the hope of qualifying for back-to-back appearances at the Central Districts knockout tournament for the National Club Championship.

Standing in their way is an old foe in New Plymouth Marist United, who have met them twice before in the regional qualifier and had comfortable wins.

Last year on a very green Victoria Park pitch, Wanganui United caused the upset of the summer by defeating New Plymouth Old Boys by 75 runs to qualify for the next stage of the NCC for the first time, a result which veteran player Gerard Hobbs said has boosted their self belief.

"We're way more confident than we were, even last year.

"If you look at this season, we've been able to win the tight games.

"I think a lot of that is Badge's [Simon Badger] influence.

"Last year it was the top order that carried us, now it's the middle order."

Captained by Tom Lance, who had a brilliant start to the year with back-to-back hundreds and is due some more good form, the United team has almost all of their veterans as well the representative players returning after last weekend's disappointing second day capitulation to Horowhenua-Kapiti.

Suffice to say, the likes of Greg Smith, Matthew Boswell, Collegiate transfer Matt Simes and pace bowler Ryan Slight will have a point to prove.

"A lot of it is guts – guts goes a long way," said Hobbs.

Badger missed the representative game as a wedding guest, with United now only without their veteran leg spinner Robbie Power, who is undertaking nuptials of his own in Las Vegas.

United will go with a five seamer and two spinner attack, and Hobbs felt the way the dry Taranaki pitch will play that Power's solid tail-end batting will be missed more than his bowling.

"We've learnt through playing at Pukekura Park you can't drop it short. Leg spinners do get smashed."

With Boswell, Smith and wicketkeeper Simes slotting in, the likes of Englishman Freddie Wilson and the allrounders Hobbs, Brendon Walker and Ritesh Verma can move down the order, but while on paper this looks strong, somebody still has to get the runs under pressure.

"It's got the depth to succeed," said Hobbs.

While Marist United no longer have the dominant batsman Dean Robinson, so hard to get out, they still have a solid battery of talent.

Last Saturday, they won the Taranaki Premier one-day final by beating Woodleigh CC by 61 runs after a high scoring game.

Marist United slogged their way to 320 in 49 overs, and then bowled Woodleighh out for 259 in the last over of the match.

Ryan Watson showed his development as an allrounder by scoring 65 before taking 4-39 with the ball.

Opener Ryan Fleming (28), Jacob Richards (86) and Josh Barrett (62) were also amongst the runs, with bowler Terrell Erwood (4-37) taking scalps while being expensive.

This year, the Whanganui qualifying games were folded into the regular rounds of the Bullocks Coastal Challenge Cup, rather than playing a separate 1-2 weekend mini-tournament.

United qualified after beating St Johns Tech by 24 runs in a tight game at Victoria Park on December 2.

Today's 50-over clash starts at 11am.

The Wanganui United team is
Tom Lance (c), Matthew Boswell, Greg Smith, Matt Simes (wk), Simon Badger, Freddie Wilson, Brendon Walker, Gerard Hobbs, Martin Pennefather, Ritesh Verma, James Pennefather, Ryan Slight.