Coach forced to rejig selections

After some low scores in Premier 1 club cricket, the Wanganui top order batsmen like Dominic Lock (left) will have to find form against Hawkes Bay in Napier this weekend. PHOTO/FILE

The makeup of the 12-man Active Physio Wanganui team for the first Hawke Cup game in Napier this coming weekend is noteworthy more for who is not playing.

After October's Chapple Cup one-day tournament, Wanganui coach Rod Bannister had earmarked five players as certainties for the two-day match with Hawkes Bay, expecting the rest of his wider training group to perform in club matches and earn their spots.

However, two of those are among a handful of key players who have made themselves unavailable, as well as the surprise departure of the young man who at the start of the season Bannister publicly wanted to lead the bowling group.

After a phone call to Palmerston North where Bannister issued a "yes or no" directive, pace bowler Nick Blundell has declared himself unavailable for all forms of cricket for the season, including club and representative.

Stepping away from cricket completes a sad decline for the promising 1.96m tall medium pacer, who in 17 months has gone from touring Australia with the New Zealand U19's, through to fitness concerns and missing out on the Youth World Cup, and now departing the game.

"I've always stated that I only want to work with players that want to play for, and are committed to, giving their best for Wanganui no matter what their perceived ability is," said Bannister.

"It also builds competition for places and depth in our playing stocks."

Elsewhere, previous certainties in wicket keeper Todd Inness (school exams) and bowler Trent Hemi (visiting family), along with Ross Kinnerley (friend's wedding) are also unavailable, while Fraser Kinnerley has been included despite a serious facial injury when he was hit in the slips playing for Bayer Marist on Saturday.

United opener Chris Sharrock comes in and takes the gloves, while Bannister has taken a big punt by introducing Premier 2 regulars Ryan Slight and Ryan Balsley, who along with United's Ritesh Verma had joined the wider training group.

At this point, Bannister said he was willing to "take a few hits" on the field, so long as he could build a team culture by bringing in young guys with energy because they "simply love playing the game".

"Past reputations and past performances are gone and promoting players from P2 shows that [coach] Ian Snook and I are prepared to take risks when it comes to selection," said Bannister.

"I have every confidence in the 12 selected for this match despite there being a considerable lack of runs over the last three weeks in P1 club cricket.

"However, a few of the top seven batsmen need to start performing by scoring runs if they are to be considered beyond this coming weekend."

The squad contains six survivors from the Wanganui team that met Hawkes Bay at Marton's Centennial Park in January - a humiliating defeat by an innings and 177 runs.