CRICKET
The Southey Sayer Wairarapa Korus are looking to continue their good run of form against Taranaki when the two meet in Stratford tomorrow.
The Korus have won three of their past four games with Taranaki in the Mike Shrimpton Trophy, the premier trophy in Central Districts women’s cricket, with the other being abandoned.
However, coach Simon Roseingrave is reading little into recent history and expects a tougher challenge tomorrow, given a resurgence in Taranaki at age-group level, with many of those players often playing a big role in senior representative sides.
“They’ve had a little bit of success recently,” Roseingrave said.
“The year 11-13 girls won the CD tournament, and PNGHS just beat St Matthew’s in the final of Gillette Venus CD playoffs, so they’ve got some handy girls coming through in that age group.
“They also have Emily Cunningham, a Hind, and Kate Baxter, and she is always handy.
“We have a reasonably handy record against Taranaki, but they’re always close games.”
Roseingrave added that for the Korus to get their season back on track, there will need to be a big improvement from the heavy loss to Manawatu two weeks.
“We got a bit of drubbing against Manawatu, and some of that was the pitch, but I think because we have to rotate players, we’re not a settled team at the start of the season, and that means it’s an unknown going into each weekend.
“If we’re a bit more accurate in the field than we were against Manawatu, I think we’ll go close.”
There are four changes to the side that lost to Manawatu. Former Canterbury Magicians medium-fast bowler Kate Sims is overseas, and middle-order batter Kayarna Jones-Dennes is unavailable because of work commitments.
Their absence is offset by the return of Elizabeth Cohr and Chichi Beck from university studies. Cohr’s inclusion is a big boost for the team. She has been in good form in Christchurch club cricket, and her accurate off-spin bowling is difficult to get away.
St Matt’s lively swing bowler India Bartlett and Wairarapa College slow-medium pace bowler Rose Larkin will make their representative debuts.
The Korus are still without Hinds all-rounder Ocean Bartlett and last season’s top wicket-taker Ella Southey but will have Hinds all-rounder Melissa Hansen and wicketkeeper-batter Gemma Sims for the match.
Hansen is again likely to play a big role, having top-scored against Manawatu with 37 on a dreadful pitch and taking the only two wickets to fall.
Adding an unknown factor is that tomorrow’s 40-over match will be played at Victoria Park, Stratford because of the unavailability of New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park.
Korus:
Olivia Roseingrave [captain], India Bartlett, Chichi Beck, Olivia Clark, Elizabeth Cohr, Caitlin Elliott, Melissa Hansen, Rose Larkin, Macy Lyford, Emma McLeod, Gemma Sims, Vanessa Taylor.
