Paddy Gluck will take the wicketkeeper’s role against Whanganui. PHOTO/FILE
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
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Highmark Homes Wairarapa’s pace bowling attack has taken a hit for this weekend’s Furlong Cup match away to Whanganui.
Medium-fast bowler Ethan Childs has been ruled out for the two-day match with a potentially long-term knee injury, and Peter Sigvertsen is unavailable, meaning much of the responsibility will fall on pace man Stefan Hook, and left-arm spinner Quinn Childs.
That will also place more onus on the batting line-up to post a big score on the usually placid Victoria Park pitch.
Wairarapa coach Neil Perry said the plan will be to bat once and bat long, and then contain from one end and attack with Hook and Childs.
“We’ve got a number of options, but they’re not front line,” Perry said.
“Jake Jonas is coming in to open the batting, and he also gives us a good bowling option, and hopefully he can come in there and put it on the spot with his medium pace and get a little bit of swing and seam.”
Captain Gordon Reisima, Jaco Vorster, and Robbie Anderson are useful medium pace bowlers, while Jared van Deventer and Andy Dodd are capable spin bowlers.
Jonas’ selection comes after some useful form in the Coastal Challenge for Red Star, with 61 against Whanganui Marist, and 70 for Central Districts under 17s at their regional tournament during the week.
That will have John McKenzie, who has struggled in the opening role, drop down the order, while Paddy Gluck comes into the wicketkeeping role for Jack Forrester, who will play as a batsman.
Like Wairarapa, Whanganui have failed to fire in the competition, and Perry said his team needed to find consistency.
“We’ve played some good cricket at times this season, but we just haven’t been as consistent as we would like to be.”
Perry highlighted Wairarapa’s previous Furlong Cup match against Horowhenua-Kapiti, when they lost their last eight wickets for 65 runs and were all out for 236, when more than 300 was on the cards.
“Certainly, the last game we played a lot of good cricket, but we just lost some key moments, and couldn’t get over the line.”
“At times, we’ve been a little bit complacent, thinking that people before us have made it look easy, and we forgot to do the basics at times when we’ve been in good positions.”
The probable Highmark Homes Wairarapa side to play Whanganui is:
Gordon Reisima [captain], Robbie Anderson, Jake Jonas, Jared van Deventer, Andy Dodd, Jaco Vorster, Gus Borren, Stefan Hook, John McKenzie, Jack Forrester, Paddy Gluck [wk], Quinn Childs.
