Be daring, Wairarapa cricket team told

Attitude will be a key word for the Wairarapa senior men's cricket team over the 2012-13 season.

Coach Sam Curtis readily accepts a squad lacking much experience could find the going tough against some of the bigger associations but he doesn't want them using that as an excuse for failure, either collectively or individually.

"It's all about having the right attitude, of backing yourself to be competitive no matter what the odds," Curtis said yesterday. "I know everybody is talking about how many leading players we have lost from last season and how that will likely affect the team but we have to look past that, we have to be focused on doing the very best with what we have got."

Wairarapa will face their first challenge for this season, a Tararua Shield limited-overs fixture against Manawatu, this Sunday, just one day after club cricket is scheduled to start here.

The early start to the representative season is not, of course, the ideal situation for Curtis and fellow selector Brian James and to help offset the lack of match practice they have been holding regular training sessions since early August to have players in the best possible shape for such a daunting assignment.

And Curtis has been delighted and encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by those who will front up for the 50-overs fixture, the venue for which was still to be confirmed although Wairarapa College has the inside running.

"The players have got stuck in and worked hard to get themselves ready for a solid showing, there has been a lot of enthusiasm."

The naming of Henry Cameron as captain of the Wairarapa squad was no surprise as with more than 50 caps behind him, the Lansdowne top top order batsman has experience of what it takes to succeed at the highest provincial level.

"He [Cameron] is one of those guys who will lead from the front, he's been there, done that and that's a big help," Curtis said.

Apart from Cameron, the only other regular from last season in Sunday's side is Greytown's Tim Lucas who will open the batting with Alex Treseder (Lansdowne).

Treseder is also a very competent 'keeper but Curtis wants him to concentrate wholly on his batting and promising youngster Mathew McKenzie (Rathkeale College) will wear the gloves.

Cameron will bat in the crucial position of first drop and then will come Joe Hull (Red Star), Harry Clinton-Baker (Rathkeale College) and Gordon Reisima (Greytown), the latter having returned from a stint in Scotland.

A number of those who are integral parts of the attack will also be expected to contribute well with the bat, most particularly George Deans (Rathkeale College) and Jared Watt (Red Star).

In the bowling ranks Wairarapa will be looking to Stefan Hook (Wairarapa College) and Sean Jarvis (Red Star) to make good use of the new ball while Nash Patel (Kuranui Old Boys) is a talented spinner sure to get plenty of work as well.

"We don't have anyone with express pace so we will be looking to bowl smart, to regularly use change ups to keep the batsmen guessing," Curtis said of his attack.

"If we keep putting the ball in the same spot we will get hammered, we have to be a lot more innovative than that."