Dannevirke Cricket in great shape for 2020-21 season

The Premier Two team at Fitzherbert Park on Sunday, October 25, runners-up in the Champion of Champions Tournament.

The cricket season has started with a hiss and a roar, the Dannevirke Sports Club (DSC) increasing its senior teams from two to four.

We now have a senior women's team, the first time ever, and three senior men's teams playing in the Manawatu Cricket Association competition. We have a Premier Two team which is the P Two defending champions from last season, plus two Premier Three teams – DSC Black & DSC Yellow. In total we have 51 registered senior cricketers.

On Sunday our P2 team came a close second in the T20 Champions of Champions final against other regional winners, falling 13 runs short chasing 142. Standout batsman was George Larsen - scoring 40 in the first match and 40 not out in the final.

Eugene Pitt unleashes a thunderbolt on the newly installed turf at the Dannevirke Domain.

The P2s continue in the new season T20 competition, both P3s play in Dannevirke this weekend.

Sustaining this pathway will be the challenge but the club is reaping the benefits of past promotion and coaching, the increase a reflection of good numbers coming through our junior club system as well as past players who are now returning to work in Tararua.

The DSC Year 5 to 8 group is fielding two Saturday morning teams in the Manawatu Cricket Association (MCA) plus a Tararua Under 12 team.

This U12 team has cricketers from the Bush Cricket Club (Pahiatua) and the Dannevirke Sports Club.

Our P3 teams have secondary school cricketers from Tararua College, PNBHS and Dannevirke High School. These cricketers play for their schools in Saturday morning teams and then progress on to play P3 cricket in the DSC in the afternoon.

We now have a functioning pathway for all levels of cricket up to Premier Two and beyond. Three of the champion Premier Two sides from last season have moved on to Premier One teams, Campbell and Marcus Ingram playing in the Hawke's Bay for Waipukurau and Thomas Kuggeleijn playing in the Manawatū for Freyberg CC. He has just been selected in the MCA men's rep squad of 16 cricketers.

Our plan is to develop an opportunity to field a Premier One cricket team in future. In Tararua we have the grounds and facilities to take up this opportunity. We are developing numbers and skills to ease up to the next level.

Other recent developments include the concrete extension of the practice nets at the Domain with help from our sponsors Prenters Ready Mix & DirtWorx. We have laid new plastic turf in one of three lanes last week. We are seeking funding for two more lanes to be completed.

The Tararua District Council has assisted by upgrading the number one pitch at the Domain over winter. This is looking excellent now with a good grass cover. Preparation for play now requires regular rolling, watering and mowing.

With a dry summer forecast it looks good for a "Summer of Cricket". To follow our home games fixtures, search on the MCA website. Every weekend we will have a team or two playing at home at the Domain or Dannevirke HS or both. Come along and enjoy some local cricket over summer.