A confident Southey Sayer Wairarapa Korus are relishing the opportunity of three days of concentrated cricket on a rare trip to the top of the South Island.
However, the talented young side will be without some key players for tomorrow’s friendly against Marlborough at Horton Park, Blenheim and the Shrimpton Trophy doubleheader against Nelson at Saxton Oval on Saturday and Sunday.
The absence of New Zealand under-19 international and Central Hind Emma McLeod, Vanessa Taylor, Olivia Clark, Sally Booth and Lily Hunt is somewhat offset by the return of Central Districts A player Elizabeth Cohr from university in Christchurch and Chichi Beck, who has been performing well in premier cricket for Parnell in Auckland, ensuring that a strong team will travel south.
Coach Simon Roseingrave believes there is still plenty of depth and experience in the team with their trio of Hinds all-rounders Melissa Hansen, captain Ocean Bartlett, and Georgia Atkinson, along with Macy Lyford and promising youngsters Jess Monk and Madison Brown.
“We bat all the way through, and we’re taking nine bowlers, so we’re still a reasonably strong team, and I have reasonable expectations on how we’re going to perform,” Roseingrave said.
“It will be an interesting trip away. Three days of cricket in a row isn’t something we get at Shrimpton level, so it will be a test for some of the players, but I expect it to be a positive weekend.”
Tomorrow’s friendly with Marlborough is a test case, with the home side looking at entering the Shrimpton Trophy soon. Roseingrave feels it’s a good chance to experiment.
“It’s probably going to be one of those games where some of the younger members of the team we’re taking down are going to be given a few opportunities over the weekend because Marlborough have quite a young side, but we’re also not taking it lightly because it is another representative fixture and it will be good for our players to get out there and really perform.”
Nelson have yet to play a Shrimpton Trophy match this season but defeated Marlborough by nine wickets in a friendly last weekend. They will be boosted with the inclusion of in-form medium pacer Claudia Green, who picked up her first five-wicket bag for the Central Hinds in a Hallyburton-Johnstone match against the Auckland Hearts, while the Gaging twins Kate and Anna are capable batters.
Roseingrave believes he has the team to come home with some valuable points, saying, “I would be very disappointed if we didn’t come away with very positive results.”
Wairarapa Korus:
Ocean Bartlett [captain], Georgia Atkinson, Chichi Beck, Madison Brown, Elizabeth Cohr, Caitlin Elliott, Melissa Hansen, Rose Larkin, Macy Lyford, Jess Monk, Jess Roseingrave, Olivia Roseingrave.
