Cricketers blow out cobwebs
New Manawatu¯ men’s coach Dave Meiring will get a look at all his potential charges this weekend.
The Manawatu¯ senior men’s team play a pre-season game against Hawke’s Bay at Napier tomorrow and the Manawatu¯ emerging players will face Hawke’s Bay’s B as well.
The Manawatu¯ women’s team start their defence of the Mike Shrimpton Trophy against Wairarapa in Masterton tomorrow too.
Meiring said they waren’t necessarily A and B sides, but he wanted to look at everyone in their regular position, so they had a chance to push their case ahead of the first Hawke Cup game of the season against Taranaki next weekend.
There are a handful of under-19 players from Palmerston North Boys’ High School, who are in the running for the Central Districts under-19 team this season, across the two sides.
New to the top side are Ruben Love and Floyd na Nagara, who has played for Horowhenua Ka¯piti, while Braden Rowe, Trent Mcgrath and Carlos Jensen have each only played three games.
Mcgrath has played for Taranaki and Horowhenua Ka¯ piti.
They have experience in playercoach Meiring, Logan Mchardy and Tim Richards, who becomes the official captain this season, having filled in last year.
In the emerging players side are experienced rep cricketers Arana Noema-barnett, Scott Davidson, Bryce Grant, Jack Gleeson, Matt Borren and Phil Mecredy.
Grant and Borren are both back in rep contention after lengthy absences. Grant, who has recently played for Whanganui, played the last of his 20 games for Manawatu¯ in 2011 and Borren played the last of his 17 games in 2009.
Jack Wenham, Caleb Hansen and Bryn Wilson are newcomers.
Spinner Ravi Pathirana was unavailable, but otherwise Manawatu¯ had nearly everyone available.
The Manawatu¯ women start the defence of their Central Districts one-day title this weekend against what should be a strong Wairarapa team.
Manawatu¯ have lost a couple of batters this season, including Hinds opener Rebecca Burns, who has returned to Wellington, so they will need their remaining batters to fire to ensure they are competitive.
Off-spinning all-rounder Mikaela Greig will captain the team again and she is in form after the Central Hinds were in Lincoln last weekend for twenty20 matches.
Hinds and New Zealand seamer Hannah Rowe is unavailable because she is with the White Ferns at the twenty20 World Cup and there are a couple of players still away at university.
But they still have a good core of last year’s team.
Girls’ High finish third
The Palmerston North Girls’ High School first XI missed out on qualifying for the national secondary schools finals after the CD qualifiers at Ongley Park on Wednesday.
Girls’ High lost by eight runs to Wairarapa College in the semifinal. Wairarapa College went on to to qualify.
Girls’ High then bounced back for a nine-wicket win over Sacred Heart Girls’ College from New Plymouth in the playoff for third.