No rain: Time to play

Last season's opening batsman Matt Boswell comes back into the Wanganui team to play Hawke's Bay today.

The prospect of two full days of cricket on offer in Napier for the first time this Hawke Cup campaign will reveal whether Active Physio Wanganui have been on the improve with bat in hand, or have disguised their current abilities amongst the cloud bursts.

Having only managed one full day's play in both their previous rain-effected matches against Taranaki and Wairarapa, Wanganui coach Warren Marr is banking on his returning captain Simon Badger being uncommonly good at games of chance by winning the toss at Nelson Park this morning.

It is the best hope of a "positive outcome" where Wanganui may, through a long innings and then pressure in the field, give themselves an outside shot at first innings points against heavy favourite Hawke's Bay.

"I'm picking it's still going to be a two innings style fixture if we play well," said Marr.

"Over there, normally you'd look to bat first and bat 90 overs.

"We'd have to bowl well to even defend 320."

Unlike Wanganui, Hawkes Bay did not get nearly a full Saturday of cricket last weekend as only 21.1 overs were possible at Palmerston North's Fitzherbert Park against Manawatu, by which time the visitors were sitting on 64/2.

However, Marr admits that should be little problem as the bigger association has plenty of players who have fitted in games at other levels - specifically for the various Central Districts squads.

"Their team seems to change a little bit from week to week, with guy's moving up [to the Stags].

"We thought we might have Ben Smith because it's the Super Smash [Twenty20], but Jesse Ryder's injured so he's not going to be there."

Badger coming back means Collegiate bowler Angus Dinwiddie has been released to go captain the Wanganui Under-17 squad.

In the other change, a fresh Matt Boswell comes in at the top of the order to replace the out-of-form John McIlraith, as Marr desperately needs at least two of the top five batsmen to put together an innings of real substance this weekend.

"It's not working as it is, you can't keep flogging a dead horse.

"I've only seen [Boswell] in training."

Back home for the holidays, Boswell's last innings were for Wanganui against Hawkes Bay in February - scoring 37 and 32 not out respectively.

However, those were dwarfed by the fact four Hawkes Bay batsmen - Jacob Smith, Rupert Young, Dominic Thompson and GC Pretorius - put on centuries, which included 234 for the ninth wicket, to reach a soul-destroying 612/8.

Wanganui were only saved from a humiliating innings thrashing by the fact Hawkes Bay waved the match off to spend their late Sunday afternoon celebrating winning the Furlong Cup - the local trophy of the Hawke Cup - by virtue of already having secured first innings points.

Marr, who has been on the scene for Wanganui when Hawkes Bay would run up big 400-500 run totals, will be desperate for his bowling attack of Akash Gill, Ross Kinnerley and Nick Harding to avoid that prospect.

The coach won't be able to get to Napier until later today due to his Collegiate coaching commitments, but is confident the experienced Badger can hold down the fort.

"Simon - he's a bloody smart cricketer, he can take charge, no worries."

Against Manawatu, Hawke's Bay opener Matt Edmondson and No3 Rupert Young were out of sorts with low scores, but captain Jacob Smith was sitting comfortably on 26 not out when the rain set in permanently.

The Wanganui team is
Matt Boswell, Calum Coker, Dominic Lock, Greg Smith, Mark Fraser, Dominic Rayner, Simon Badger (c), Nick Harding, Akash Gill, Chris Sharrock, Ross Kinnerley, Todd Inness.