Club cricket under the weather

The start of club cricket in Wanganui tomorrow edged a little closer when forecast showers turned out to be only a skiff of rain yesterday morning.
A final decision will be made today, but groundsman Kevin Coombe said just one heavy shower would be enough to stop play this weekend.
There's a massive turnaround in club strength, with the dominant Marist club having lost all its batting strength and forced to rebuild under the guiding hand of Kim Whiteman.
Today we preview three of the teams, Saracens, and Collegiate 1sts and 2nds.
The remaining three clubs will be previewed in tomorrow's Chronicle, whether cricket is on or not.
SARACENS There's a change in leadership of Saracens, with opening bat, medium-pace bowler Darren Grant taking over from Dominic Rayner, who remains as his second-in-command.
Missing from last year's outfit is handy wicketkeeper/batsman Graham Burnannd, who's moving into the Palmerston North competition to play for Kia Toa. Carey Tasker has hung up his cricket boots, while Chris Rayner is back only for a few weeks after playing rugby in Wales.
Saracens, at full strength, will be a major problem for United and Collegiate, but again when the Air Force players become occasionally unavailable, the club's depth struggles ? especially on the batting side.
Expect big contributions from the skipper and his deputy, from explosive opening bat Jared Calkin, from Brent Cunningham and ? when the wickets get a little drier ? left-arm spinner Brad Childs.
Squad: Darren Grant (captain), Dominic Rayner (vice-captain), Matt Beaven, Jarrod Calkin, Craig Graham, Roy Brown, Brent Cunningham, Chris Rayner, Jono Rayner, Scott Parkes, Brad Childs, Andrew Barnett, Hamish McDonald, Steve Lewis.
Missing from last season: Graham Burnand (gone to play for Kia Toa) and Carey Tasker who has retired. Chris Rayner is back for a short time from playing rugby in Wales.
COLLEGIATE 1sts The team looks very similar to last year, from key batsmen Willie Lyons as the skipper and Sean Lance as vice-captain right down to opening bowler Hamish Reid.
Coach Nick Simmons has two fourth formers in his team ? Callum Coker and Ben Smith ? who were blooded late last season.
He makes no apology for batting Coker at No 3 ? "he batted there last season too."
The brings in the more experienced pairing of Ted Jefferd and Ben Cunningham at Nos 4 and 5, followed by Hugo White, Ben Smith, Lloyd Steward, Chris Richardson. Ryan McIvor and Reid.
There are six medium-pacers including White, and off-spinner Richardson. White tried out leg spin last year to offer some variation, but has gone back to medium pace. Collegiate has had one game, a 45-over hit against Butt International Business School, which it lost narrowly.
COLLEGIATE 2nds Collegiate looked around for a "young old boy" to boost the second team in its introduction to senior cricket, and Gareth Jones offered to do the job.
Alex Handley will captain, with Jones supporting him. The rest of the team is young, but determined.
Coach and occasional player Nick Hoffman sees it this way: "Deek Reuters showed plenty of courage opening the batting first term and will hopefully apply him self well again. Alex Handley also applies himself well and batted through an innings.
"Other batting will be Jones, promising lefthander James Scott, Matt Jefferd, Richard Orton, and Umesh Govind. Spearheading the bowling will be Jones, James Mail who can also get useful lower order runs, Jonny Atkinson, Sam Janett and left armer Andrew Collier. "Simon Wilson is an excellent glove man - 12 stumpings last season is useful in anyone's books! Lastly in the case of a real emergency coach will don his whites and trundle a couple down!
Squad for our development XI is Alex Handley, Jonny Atkinson, Andrew Collier, Umesh Govind, Sam Janett, Matt Jefferd, Gareth Jones, James Mail, Richard Orton, Deek Reuters, James Scott, Fraser McLauchlan, Declan McKeffrey, Simon Wilson.