In what is understood to be a first for Wairarapa Cricket, three players from the Post Office Hotel Wairarapa men’s side have been included in the Central Districts ‘A’ squad to play the New Zealand Development team.
Jake Jonas, Samuel Payne and Taylor Bettelheim have been selected for a one-day 50-over game today and a T20 clash tomorrow, both to be played at Donnelly Park, Levin.
Jonas’s selection comes on the back of an outstanding Chapple Cup tournament last weekend, during which he scored his first senior representative century [109] and averaged 69 over the three games. That gave him a tally of 405 runs at an average of 40.50 over the representative season, while he also proved his value as a bowler, picking up five wickets at an average of 19 over the Furlong Cup, zone two Hawke Cup elimination series and Wairarapa coach Mark Childs reckons those figures could not be ignored by the CD selectors.
“He’s been knocking on the door for that side for a bit now, and he actually did get selected late last year, but he had an exam,” Childs said.
“That’s thoroughly deserved with just his all-round game, and he had a superb tournament.”
Childs believes the selection could lead to bigger things for Jonas, saying he has all the attributes and the temperament to make it as a first-class cricketer.
Payne’s selection follows some good form for CD at the national under-19 tournament and some solid performances in the latter part of the Furlong Cup and at the Chapple Cup.
“The 50 [52no] he got against Hawke’s Bay here in the two-dayer was the best that he’s batted. That was a superb innings and very controlled,” Childs said.
“I’ve been saying to him, give yourself a chance when you’re out there; you don’t need to bash everything from ball one, and he listens.
“It’s great to see them backing the youth and giving someone like Sam, who’s only 17, a chance at that level, and that’s exciting.”
Like Jonas, Payne is a more than useful medium-pace bowler, although he didn’t get to roll his arm over at the Chapple Cup tournament because of the surplus of bowlers in the side, and he is a dynamo in the field with a “rocket throw”.
Bettelheim’s selection may surprise some given his wretched run of form for Wairarapa, but he has produced the goods in previous outings for CD ‘A’ this season, and Childs sympathises with the talented loan player, who was a prolific run scorer for Bay of Plenty.
“He was gutted. He loved being part of this team, but he was just finding ways to get out, and his luck was just not there. He was caught down the legside twice, there was an LBW that hit high on the thigh pad, and he was pretty unlucky, but he showed glimpses of what he’s capable of.”
Although the likes of Stefan Hook, Ethan and Quinn Childs, and Sam Curtis have represented CD ‘A’ in recent times, Childs cannot recall having three players in the team at the same time.
Meanwhile, discarded Central Hind Melissa Hansen reminded the selectors of her ability with two good scores, including a half-century, for CD ‘A’ in two games against Wellington ‘A’ at Alex Moore Park, Johnsonville.
Opening the batting, Hansen scored 69 [74 balls, nine fours] in CD’s total of 173–5 in Sunday’s game, which Wellington went on to win by five wickets. She backed that up on Monday with 38 as CD posted 196–5, chasing down Wellington’s 193–5 in 32 overs.
Elizabeth Cohr was also in the runs on Monday, scoring 35 off just 24 balls, while Macy Lyford picked up 1–23 off eight economical overs on Sunday.
Club cricketers on big stage
Red Star’s cricketers have been handed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play on one of New Zealand’s major sporting venues – Sky Stadium – and have grabbed it with both hands.
The Coastal Challenge match between Burger King Red Star and Kapiti Old Boys was originally scheduled to be played at Queen Elizabeth Park Oval on Saturday, but the offer was made to play the game as part of Kapiti’s 50th-anniversary celebrations at the Wellington waterfront stadium, the venue of last night’s opening T20 match between New Zealand and Australia.
Saturday’s 50-over game is scheduled to get underway at 11am.
