Young CD guns start nationals

The Central Districts under-17 team start their campaign at the national tournament at Lincoln today.

Kurtis Weeks of Hawke’s Bay will captain the team and Marlborough’s Harry Macdonald, the son of former All Black Leon Macdonald, is the vice captain.

There are three players back from last year’s team, who finished third, while most of the others are all young and could play under-17s for at least another year.

Manawatu’s Bryn Wilson was originally picked in the squad, but was left out of the team to go to the national tournament.

Wanganui’s Dilan Raj is the coach.

CD start with a two-day game against Wellington today, then have a two-dayer against Northern Districts on Sunday.

Tuesday is a rest day, then CD play one-day games against Canterbury, Wellington, Otago and Auckland.

There are three Manawatu players in the Central region under-18 girls team competing at the North Island tournament in Wellington next week.

Olivia West, Sally Wenham and Molly Noema-barnett are all in the squad for the tournament at Karori Park.

This is the second year of the tournament, but the first year Central have sent a team.

It is believed Canterbury and Otago will come next year, which

should make it a full-blown New Zealand Cricket competition, so they should be able to get funding from the major associations.

Rosemary Mair of Hawke’s Bay, who has played for the Central Hinds senior women’s team, will captain the under-18 side.

Hawke’s Bay’s Bob Morgan and Simon Roseingrave of Wairarapa are co-coaching the team.

There is a Twenty20 game on Monday, then three one-day games, with a final Twenty20 on Friday.