Taranaki not so grizzled anymore
Provincial cricket, once the domain of grizzled and wise individuals interspersed with youngsters learning the trade, may have lost its gnarly older edge but it has not lost its purpose.
The goal for Taranaki each year is to win the Furlong Trophy, played among the North Island provinces of Central Districts (Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu, Wanganui, Horowhenua-Kapiti and Wairarapa) and should they do this, they will earn the right to challenge for the Hawke Cup, the Ranfurly Shield of provincial cricket.
This weekend at Pukekura Park the Taranaki team go in to the game against Wairarapa at the head of the table having beaten Wanganui outright in round one.
The players know they have limited opportunities to thrust their names forward if they are gong to move on to being a professional cricketer so every performance is hugely important.
Will Young, Central Districts captain and Tom Bruce, also a Black Cap T20 and New Zealand ‘A’ player, are Taranaki’s only regular players who have hit the next level and seldom play for Taranaki while this weekend Ryan Watson, an in-swinger of huge promise, is also on standby to play his initial game of first class cricket.
For the rest big scores and plenty of wickets are beckoning against a team that is historically not as strong as Taranaki.
This is a home side with sufficient talent and experience to grab the Furlong Trophy by the neck and bring it to the province.
Opening batsman Dean Robinson is in imperious form and along with Peter Ingram, the team possess perhaps the strongest opening partnership in provincial cricket in New Zealand.
Besides Robinson there are three batsmen who must have their eye firmly set on a Stags cap.
New Zealand under 18 captain Kaylum Boshier, an all-rounder with a positive approach and good game understanding, is coming off two hundreds last weekend, while another youngster Liam Muggeridge is back from a hugely successful stint in the UK and is in good batting form.
Regular Central Districts A team batsman James McDougall, also a big scorer in last week’s club cricket, needs to step up, score big, and force the selectors hand at Stags level.
This talented line-up takes you back to the heady old days of Brian Richards, Rodney Brown and Mark O’Neill who destroyed a few attacks in their time. The challenge is for these four to step up and show their worth.
Captain Mattie Thomas is another who is on the fringe of being a paid player. A left-arm spinner with a couple of Stags games under his belt, he will have a huge responsibility at the bowling crease, something which he should relish as he matures. Now is his time.
With Watson unlikely to play the pace attack will revolve around the experienced Callum Stuart, already looking a more mature competitor in 2017, and newcomer Shay Smith-Lound, a tall lad still at Francis Douglas Memorial College, with plenty of zip and bounce.
Others in the frame will be Davis Mills, the new Jamie Watkins with his line and length, speedsters Ethan Keller and Ben Frewin and all-rounder Caleb Frewin the captain of New Plymouth Boys’ High School.
These players can turn their dreams into reality with big performances this weekend whilst Taranaki can keep ahead of the major contenders in Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu with a quality performance.