Deja vu for struggling batsmen

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There was almost a sense of deja vu permeating the Active Physio Wanganui camp when they were sent back out to bat in the fading light, during their loss on first innings points to Horowhenua-Kapiti late on Sunday afternoon.

After collapsing to 139 all out in the rain-affected Hawke Cup match that morning, Wanganui could not keep the visitors from passing their meagre total, despite reducing them to 134-7 approaching the dinner break.

Adding further insult to injury, the bowlers then suffered a lower order blast from No9 Caleb Gaylard, who smacked 66 runs from 34 balls, including three sixes, to get his team through to 219-9 declared at Victoria Park.

Horowhenua-Kapiti telling Wanganui to pad up again despite there being only about 16 overs remaining mirrored the corresponding game the previous season at Kena Kena Park, when Wanganui were made to follow-on for 16 overs despite there seemingly not being enough time for an outright result.

However, the visitors still had enough balls, figuratively speaking, to show Wanganui just how poor their form with the bat has been this campaign as the top order fell apart again to be 24-3.

"When we found ourselves four down, it was definitely [deja vu]," said player-coach Dominic Rayner, who joined Max Carroll at the finish to negotiate the final overs until bad light mercifully stopped play.

With Manawatu and Hawke's Bay still to face in the New Year, this Hawke Cup campaign could be one of the most disappointing in recent memory unless Rayner and the senior players can somehow manufacture some batting prowess.

On the pitch, they will have the final round of the Premier 1 one-day competition and an interclub game with the Taranaki one-day champion for the local winner to do so.

Only once in six innings have Wanganui passed 150 runs for their team total this summer.

"I pretty much told them, 'if you get a Christmas present, [let it be] some batting form'," said Rayner. "We'll meet during the holidays and do some technical stuff. It's not going to get any easier."

Rayner said he would hold himself up to that same standard, given his middle order scores have been nothing to write home about either. Bryce Grant and Brett Cameron will return to the representative side in January.

However, despite not getting that big score this campaign, Henry Collier will be badly missed when he departs with the New Zealand Under 19 team for their World Cup next month.