Whangarei Boys High School's first XI are well prepared for the start of the premier grade one-day competition after a successful tour of Australia already under their belts.
However one of the team's coaches on tour, Stephen Cunis, cautioned while the tour experience will help them, the boys' lack ofexperience will always be a factor in their early season club competition form.
"We're under no illusions how tough it's going to be, playing some of the better teams in this competition - it's going to be a big learning curve for some of these boys," he said.
The boys are well prepared after playing other school sides on good wickets on their six-match tour but Cunis said playing senior club cricket is very different.
"It was good for them to play other school sides because they all make the same mistakes - against Onerahi-Central tomorrow it becomes a numbers game," he said. "You might chip out a couple in the top order but there's still half a dozen other players that can make big scores against you."
Cunis said it's a great opportunity for the younger players to learn and the side's better players - they have three players in the extended Northland squad: batsman Ben Smith, wicketkeeper Max Davis and left-arm spinner Dave Armitt - have a good chance to measure up against the region's best.
The side play Onerahi-Central C in a 50-overs match at Kensington Park. The premier grade match between Kamo and Maungakaramea is also at Kensington Park, with the City-Kaipara encounter to be played at Cobham Oval.
The reserve grade continue their Twenty20 competition with two rounds tomorrow. The first round at 12pm sees Kamo play Onerahi-Central, while WBHS play Northern Wairoa and Kamo High School play City. The second round at 3pm features Kamo and NW, OC and Maungakaramea, and WBHS and KHS.
