Simon Roseingrave. PHOTO/FILE
October start for cricketers
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
[email protected]
The late finish to winter sport because of the covid-19 restrictions has resulted in a later than usual start for cricket competitions.
The Coastal Challenge Championship featuring teams from Wairarapa, Horowhenua-Kapiti, and Whanganui would typically start on the first weekend in October but will now begin two weeks later, on October 17.
The club championships will also start later than usual on October 31.
Wairarapa Cricket operations manager Simon Roseingrave said: “During winter, we had to make a commitment to both our winter sports colleagues – under the instructions of Sport NZ and the local councils – that we would make allowances for a gap between seasons, meaning the start date of October 31 has been locked in for three months or more.”
Two Wairarapa sides will contest the Coastal Challenge, which is down to nine teams after the withdrawal of Whanganui Tech old Boys.
Red Star made the semifinals of the 2019-20 championship and will take their place again, whereas United replace Lansdowne, who struggled and finished ninth.
United are a combination of the Lansdowne, Masterton Marist, and Greytown clubs, and last played in the 2018-19 competition, finishing mid-table.
Red Star open their campaign away to Kapiti Old Boys and United play Paraparaumu away.
Nine teams have entered the Umpires Cup, Wairarapa’s premier competition, which is to be concluded before Christmas.
The seasons for the men’s and women’s representative teams are mainly unaffected, although there have been some minor alterations.
The men’s Furlong Cup – Hawke Cup elimination series – is to be played as usual from November to February.
Wairarapa have their two home games against Taranaki and Horowhenua-Kapiti in November.
The three-day Chapple Cup tournament, which involves all eight districts within Central Districts, has been moved from its usual Napier location to Palmerston North and Levin to help reduce costs.
The Wairarapa Korus are one of four teams to contest the women’s premier competition, the Mike Shrimpton Trophy, which has been extended from one full round to two full rounds of home and away fixtures.
The women’s T20 weekend is unlikely to proceed and could be replaced by an alternative tournament.
Representative Draws
MEN:
Furlong Cup – November 7-8 v Taranaki in Masterton; December 12-13 v Horowhenua-Kapiti in Masterton; January 16-17 v Whanganui in Whanganui; January 30-31 v Hawke’s Bay in Napier; February 13-14 v Manawatu in Palmerston North.
Chapple Cup
November 20-22 in Palmerston North and Levin – draw to be confirmed.
WOMEN:
Shrimpton Trophy – November 15 v Hawke’s Bay in Masterton; November 22 v Manawatu in Masterton; January 17 v Taranaki in Whanganui; January 25 v Manawatu in Palmerston North; January 31 v Hawke’s Bay in Napier; February 7 v Taranaki in Palmerston North.
