Players told to earn their cup spots

After a four wicket haul and a fighting tailender's innings against Wairarapa on Saturday, Trent Hemi was one of only five players guaranteed their spots for the upcoming Hawke Cup. PHOTO/FILE

ACTIVE Physio Wanganui coach Rod Bannister has told over half of his team that they must play for their Hawke Cup spots rather than skate by on other's efforts, after Manawatu came back at them on Friday and Wairarapa inflicted a devastating one-run defeat on Saturday in the Chapple Cup.

Wanganui gave favourites Manawatu a real surprise in the opening 5-over match in Napier when a unbeaten century by Mark Fraser led them to a very respectable 246-5.

In reply, Wanganui had Manawatu thoughtful at 101-3 at the drinks break and then downright concerned at 130-5 with former Black Cap Jamie Howe back in the shed for 47.

The medium pacers had slowed Manawatu down, but their remaining stand-out batsman in Bevan Small was up to the task, smashing 96 not out from 68 balls, supported by Luke Murray (31no) to wrap up the five wicket win in the 45th over.

Still, given they had shown some pluck, Wanganui approached Saturday's game with confidence and the match see-sawed depending on which players stepped up on each team.

At the beginning, it was Wanganui's young bowlers in Trent Hemi and Sam O'Leary who gained ascendancy, as they had Wairarapa under the pump at 63-4, O'Leary getting his deliveries right on line.

However, that brought Paul Lyttle (63 from 77 balls) out to join Jamie Holmes (83 from 93) and the pair had their team in good position heading into the slog part of the innings.

"They were 183-5 early in the 35th over," said Bannister.

"[Henry] Collier changed the bowling group around well and changed the field. We had a short boundary for the right-handers."

Collier himself removed danger man Holmes and then Hemi and O'Leary, along with Nick Blundell, exposed the tail to dismiss Wairarapa for 230 in the 48th over. Hemi finished with 4-39 and O'Leary 4-47 from their ten overs each.

"They bowled exceptionally well, we thought par on that was 260-280," said Bannister.

Wanganui's key men in Ben Smith (45) and Mark Fraser (64) picked up where they left off against Manawatu, but reliance on them was near total.

"We did the things we were talking about for a while. But we lost 4-10 in a little group."

When Hemi walked out at No11, Wanganui were in the cart at 177-9, but he survived as 17-year-old wicket keeper Todd Inness dug in to score an undefeated 54.

The last pair had just about done everything right to steal a famous win when Hemi spooned a shot to mid-on when he was going for the winning runs in the 49th over.

Wanganui were to face Marlborough in their last game on Sunday but the Cup matches were rained off.

Bannister praised Collier's on-field leadership, Inness' emergence as a level- headed player, Fraser's performance with the bat and the bowling efforts of Hemi and O'Leary.

As a result, in front of the whole team, those five were told they were the only certainties for the Wanganui squad for the start of the Hawke Cup campaign.

The rest are expected to go back to club cricket and perform - being in competition for the other seven spots with the handful of remaining players in Wanganui's wider-training group, who took part in the trial match and Twenty20 games in recent weeks.

Bannister said they had to send a clear message.

"As far as importance goes, as having a look at the group, our indicators are attitude, being open to change, and accountability.

"What we have relied on is one or two players, while the rest sat on the sideline. We're getting away from that mentality. Even back to my days as a player, it's happened too often, historically. That's got to change ... "

A professional guy like Smith is told by the Central Districts selectors that he has to get big scores in Chapple Cup, so Bannister said he wanted to instill similar expectations of his players at club level.

Inness received interest for the CD U18 selectors in Napier, while even the veteran Fraser got some notice from the CD Stags coaching staff, Bannister said.

Wanganui 246-5 (Mark Fraser 109 not out, Ben Smith 75, I Harris 2-26, A Milne 1-32) lost to Manawatu 248-5 (B Small 96no, J Howe 47, L Murray 31no, S O'Leary 3-54).

Wairarapa 230 (J Holmes 83, P Lyttle 63, T Hemi 4-39, S O'Leary 4-47) beat Wanganui 229 (M Fraser 64, T Inness 54no, B Smith 45).