Marton cricket explores its options

The Marton Saracens Cricket Club plans to not put all its eggs in one basket this coming season.
Although there may be only the two eggs ? that is two senior teams ? they aim to have one playing in the Wanganui competition and another in the Manawatu competition.
Club president Harold Barnett said that this was the best option to keep the club going.
"Our feeling is, we have had a number of defections," he said. "Marton cricket a few years ago had four teams. We were down to two teams last year, and in the off season seven guys left.
"Two moved to Palmerston, two thought they were unfairly treated from Wanganui Cricket, so one stopped playing and one didn't want to go back, and another was a new player who thought last year's competition was pretty weak."
In recent years the Marton club has drawn on local players, as well as those domiciled in Wanganui, Palmerston North and other surrounding towns.
"Our best option was to try and harness those guys," Barnett said.
"If they were lost and played for Wanganui or Palmerston North teams, basically it would mean Saracens was down to one team, or half a team even."
Barnett said initially when he approached Palmerston North they said they would be happy to accommodate a Marton side, as long as it was approved by the Wanganui association.
"After two verbal inquiries and a written one we got the final decision from Wanganui that allowed Saracens dispensation for a year," he said.
"Depending on whether the top players play or not, we are hoping to put a team in Manawatu's P3 or P2 grades.
"If they all play we will have a strong enough team to play in P2."
The team playing in Wanganui will play in the senior reserves competition.
"I think there is a feeling of letting them [Wanganui Cricket] down," Barnett said. "But I have been involved with Marton cricket since 1970 and all I am trying to do is keep Marton cricket together.
"When I first came there we had 12 teams playing senior cricket."
It is the reducing numbers throughout the region that have seen the Wanganui association suffer financial difficulties.
Applications for those looking to express interest to run the game locally closed last week and Wanganui cricket chair Staurt Gill said it would be once this process was complete that the financial and club situation would be addressed.
"We are trying to get a management structure in place so we can go forward," he said.
"The management structure has to be sorted before we go further with the debt with the council.
"They want to know exactly where we are going to." Four applications were received and negotiations are currently taking place with one group.
A decision is expected next week.