STUMPS IN: United's Mathew Boswell appeals against Tech batsman Andy Mackintosh during one-day cricket at Victoria Park in February.PHOTO/FILE A-070215WCBRCCRI08
Coastal cup adds fresh dash of spice to season
Having more depth in their squads and being provided an interesting competition to keep young players motivated points to an optimistic summer for the Porter Hire Wanganui club teams.
The announcement of a combined Coastal Challenge Cup with the four Horowhenua-Kapiti club sides has, in theory, created a well-rounded competition where there will be a real fight to secure a spot in the Top 4, while allowing excitement for the local club's non-representative players who will get a chance to travel, in this case for games in Levin.
As is standard for early October, the Wanganui teams are still waiting for the return of all of their university-based players, so numbers will be a little light for the opening games on the Tasman Tanning pitches at Victoria Park today.
However, it will be rare chance to see Devon Homes Central Districts Stags player Ben Smith come home for his first Wanganui club match in four seasons when he opens up for Marist against perennial one-day champions United.
Marist captain Mark Fraser said Smith will play if there are breaks in the first-class schedule.
The key regulars such as opener John McIlraith, allrounder Fraser Kinnerley, middle-order mainstay Craig Thorpe and bowler Sam O'Leary will all start today.
Fraser said Marist are soon expecting the Inness brothers - Morgan and Todd - from university, alongside top batsman and wicketkeeper Brett Cameron.
These players were the core of the team that won last year's Premier League to start the season, and then the local knockout competition for the right to play Taranaki champions Inglewood, which proved a heavy 145-run loss.
In a player swap with Tech, medium pace bowler Travis Bartels joins the Marist team in the place of Ross Kinnerley, although the Hamilton-based Bartels may only make occasional appearances.
Batsman Shaun Jones has not played in nearly a decade, but Fraser said Jones was inspired by his wife Helen being in the Kaierau B netball team which won their club competition this winter.
Fraser said they would also like to have Collegiate players Sam Beard and Nick O'Leary when not required for school cricket.
"[But this is] to be confirmed as the school is holding a tough stance on the schoolboys playing a higher level.
"It's disappointing from WCS holding players back from playing a higher level."
The opening game could well be a battle of the Smiths, as tomorrow will be the first chance to see English batsman Greg Smith in the United lineup.
Having won last summer's Twenty20 title and the Premier 1 one-day championship for a seventh straight season, United have lost their Namibian import Christi Viljoen to Dunedin and their erstwhile captain Max Carroll to England.
However, Carroll did not let them down as he played club cricket in England with Greg Smith and helped arrange for him to come out for the southern hemisphere summer, bringing with him the goal of playing for Active Physio Cricket Wanganui.
"We're not paying him [to play], but we're helping him out with the rent and car etc," said United's Gerard Hobbs.
Key allrounders such as Tom Bruce, Robbie Power and Brendon Walker are all returning, as is wicketkeeper/batsman Chris Sharrock from Massey University plus the young bowlers Ryan Slightand Hayden Kirk.
The veteran Hobbs said the team are putting all their focus on winning the Coastal Challenge and the local knockout competition for the National Zonal qualifiers, November 28 and December 12.
"[Coastal is] the boost that Wanganui cricket needs - it's brought in enthusiasm for the young guys and even people like me.
"It's given us something to play for.
"We've covered with spin bowlers and seam bowlers and we've got enough batsmen."
As well as Tech picking up the key paceman and handy batsman in Ross Kinnerley, captain Dom Lock, recently returned from England, said standout allrounder Nick Harding had been able to commit to a full season.
Harding and youngster Josh Roebuck were among the key players when Tech had their best afternoon last summer, stunning United with a 175-run defeat in the knockout competition.
While bowler Trent Hemi is not listed, the team see their regulars such as vice-captain Sam Roebuck, Caleb Green and Kane Watkin return, alongside leading women's player Jessica Watkin, who will represent New Zealand A against the White Ferns and Sri Lanka.
"We feel we have a strong squad and are looking to push towards the top 4 this year," said Lock.
The Marton Saracens always find some unique challenges to getting their full squad together - in the case of Thursday training it was the team's tradies being busy fixing a blown-off roof - but captain Dominic Rayner has secured most of the usual suspects.
While bowler and slogging batsman Dan Ford is missing from the list, wicketkeeper Chris Rayner and mainstays Dan Gordon, Scott Oliver, Dane Slako, Bryant Galpin and James Linklater all return.
Helping add to the strength of the competition is the news Cricket Wanganui should be able to provide a full roster of umpires, rather than the teams officiating themselves.
"Umpires have been sought and trained over the off-season and now CW can boast seven additional umpires to add onto the likes of John Henley, Barry Touzel, and Dave Berry," said development officer Dilan Raj.
"Premier 1 games will have two official umpires allocated to each game.
"Lindsay Hobbs will lead the new umpiring group and CW will assist in their development as well as the players' progression through the NZ system."
The umpires will also allocate MVP points from 1-3 for each game, as there are cash incentives in the Coastal Challenge Cup for being the season MVP, along with the most runs, wickets and catches.
United vs Marist and Tech vs Marton start today at 11am.
2015 Squads
Marton Saracens
Dominic Rayner (c), Chris Rayner, Scott Oliver, Liam McAleese, Dane Slako, Bryant Galpin, Phil Galpin, John Anthony, Hamish Harding, Ben Lewis, David Marchment, Mike Thompson, Jamie Simmons, Dan Gordon, James Linklater, Justin Lock.
Tech
Dom Lock (c), Sam Roebuck (vc), Tyler Lock, Nick Harding, Ross Kinnerley, Bret Field, Jessica Watkin, Kane Watkin, Tim Czerwonka, Caleb Greene, Josh Roebuck, Peter Czerwonka, Andy Mackintosh, Devon Purvis.
United
Gerard Hobbs, Tom Lance, Mathew Boswell, Greg Smith, Robbie Power, Chris Sharrock, Brendon Walker, Stephen Holloway, Ritesh Verma, Ryan Slight, Hayden Kirk, Tyler McElwaine, Dylan Martin, Liam Wilsher.
Marist
Mark Fraser (c), Ben Smith, John McIlraith, Sam O'Leary, Fraser Kinnerley, Craig Thorpe, Morgan Inness, Todd Inness, Brett Cameron, Shaun Jones, Travis Bartels, Thomas Redpath, Gee Singh, Mitchell Brett-Atkins, Johno Quirk, Chris Stewart.