Academy look to build on strong start

Academy will be looking to build on the strong start they made last weekend when they play Red Star in an Umpires Cup senior men's cricket match at Park Sportsground No.3 in Masterton tomorrow.
Any questions marks over the ability of Academy to be competitive in the premier grade this season were certainly answered in a positive vein when they made a one-horse race of their opening encounter with Rathkeale College.
Thanks to a superb 103 from wicketkeeper Dan Stevenson, batting at number four, they reached an impressive 271-9 in their 50 overs and then with spinner Chad Yates taking six of the wickets they dismissed the young Rathkeale side for 121.
That match may have left the impression Academy are something of a two-man band but reports suggest that is anything but the case with several of their other players all of whom hail from the United Kingdom having CV's which indicate they too will make their presence felt as the season proceeds.
Spin bowling is certainly one area where the Academy should shine with no fewer than nine of their side being adept in that department. Conversely, however, their pace bowling stocks are rather thin and last Saturday it was actually their bowling coach Steve Coleman who led the way in that respect.
Red Star also played Rathkeale College last weekend, their game on Sunday being brought forward from a later date because of school commitments. Unfortunately though the weather intervened with play being called off with Rathkeale well enough placed at 140-4.
It will be interesting to see how Red Star cope with the Academy spin attack as they have a number of batsmen who like to get on with the job and they will probably back themselves to score heavily on an artificial surface which shouldn't provide much in the way of quick turn.
One of their shining lights should be Brad Edwards, an acquisition from Wellington who opens the batting and is also a competent off spinner.
The venue of the Greytown v Rathkeale match had not been confirmed at the time these notes were penned with one of either Kuranui College in Greytown or Carrington Park in Carterton likely to be chosen, depending on availability.
Greytown were the warm favourites against Wairarapa College last Saturday but came off second best after making just 156 at their turn at bat and being overtaken by the students with two wickets in hand. Opener Jake Ross continued his consistent form of last season with a patient knock of 35 for the southerners and Hayden Spierling was typically aggressive in his 26.
It is his combination with Seth Rance as a new ball bowler where Spierling could make the biggest impact tomorrow though.
Between them they will be a huge handful for an inexperienced Rathkeale side which will be depending in the main on talented all-rounder Dean van Deventer to fight fire with fire.
The latter showed he was in good early-season touch with the bat with a half-century against Red Star last Sunday and he will undoubtedly be the prize wicket for the likes of Spierling and Rance.
Lansdowne will be making their first appearance of the season when they play Wairarapa College at Park Sports No.1 and they will be well aware of the threat posed them by a former member of their own club in Sam Curtis who was instrumental in the college's first round win over Greytown.
He bowled a mixture of medium pace and spin to finish with 3-38 with the ball and then batting at first drop made 78 not out with the bat.
Lansdowne do, of course, have a well proven all-rounder of their own in Robin James and it would not surprise if the result of this match depends on which of him and Curtis make the biggest individual impact.