John Ryan has shouldered much of the bowling responsibility for Lansdowne. PHOTOS/FILE
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
[email protected]
A win over two-time champions Paraparaumu will ensure Burger King Red Star a place in the Coastal Challenge semifinals.
Red Star enter the final round of games in the combined Wairarapa, Horowhenua-Kapiti, and Whanganui 50-over competition, in fifth place, four points behind Paraparaumu and two points behind defending champions Whanganui United.
A win in today’s game at Queen Elizabeth Park Oval will take Red Star equal with Paraparaumu, while a win with a bonus point would move them a point ahead.
If Red Star and Paparaumu are equal in points after the match, Red Star will advance to the semis by virtue of having beat them.
Red Star, however, will be without two of their main contributors – Ethan and Quinn Childs who have gone to Dunedin for university studies.
The value of the twins to the side are evident in their statistics.
Left-arm spinner Quinn has taken 13 wickets at an average of 14.69 and an economy rate of 3.82 runs per over, while seamer Ethan has seven wickets at 32.43 and an economy rate of 5.04, as well as being a useful batsmen with a top score of 52.
Red Star captain Peter Sigvertsen admitted the Childs twins will be missed but the team have the cover.
“They leave a hole in the bowling as we can rely on them for 10 overs each, but we have the guys who will step in, are keen and willing and have been in good form.”
On fire rep bowler Stefan Hook, medium pacer Sigvertsen, and promising seam bowler Jacob Osborne will shoulder much of the responsibility. Slow bowlers Brock Price and Cole Freeman, and left-arm spinner Ojas Patel, who is leading the bowling for the club’s second team, are other options.
Red Star should also field a strong batting line-up with Wairarapa players Robbie Anderson, Price, Hook, Jake Jonas, Tim Burling, and hard-hitting wicketkeeper Nathan Elliott all showing good form.
Sigvertsen said the team is in the right form to make the semifinals.
“We’re still confident. We’re pretty strong, we had a good win over United, and it would be disappointing to miss out now after coming so far.”
Sigvertsen didn’t really know what to expect from Paraparaumu.
“They’ve got two or three hard-hitting batsmen in [former Red Star player] Kelsey Fahey and Andre Halbert and one other opener. They’ll come at us quite hard but as long as we can restrict them, we’ll be okay.”
Meanwhile, Jackson Street Lansdowne are targeting their second win of the championship in their final round-robin match away to Wanganui Marist.
A bonus point win would move Lansdowne equal on points with Marist, while a loss would leave them stranded in ninth place in the 10-team competition.
Scoring runs hasn’t been a problem, with Wairarapa representatives Jaco Vorster, captain Jack Forrester, John McKenzie, and Rathkeale student Gus Borren all contributing at various times.
Borren was outstanding in the team’s win over Whanganui Collegiate in the last round, smashing 147 off 96 balls in their 36-run victory.
However, the team have invariably been let down by lack of penetration in the bowling attack.
Too often John Ryan has been a lone hand in the pace bowling department, although he has had good support from the promising Eric Bargh in recent rounds, while veterans Robbie Speers and Sanjay Patel have carried the slow bowling load.
