Close contests for final berths

Cricket

The final of the Wairarapa Cricket Association's Umpire's Cup one-day competition will be played at Queen Elizabeth Park oval in Masterton on Sunday - but there are no guarantees who the two combatants will be.

Playing off in semifinals matches tomorrow are A1 Homes Kuranui Old Boys and Red Star at Greytown and Wairarapa College and Flight Centre Lansdowne at Wairarapa College and there is no clear favourite in either contest.

The fact Red Star and Lansdowne met in the final of the Bidwill Cup two-day competition last weekend, with Lansdowne taking the honours in a dramatic encounter, might suggest they have the inside running but Kuranui Old Boys and Wairarapa College certainly have enough potential match-winners in their line-ups to keep them honest.

Red Star, for instance, will be only too well aware of the possible dangers posed them by a Kuranui Old Boys batting line-up spearheaded by two very in-form players Sam Curtis and Tony Russo.

Curtis, especially, is a major threat with his ability to score heavily - and quickly - no matter what the pitch conditions and the calibre of the opposition attack.

If Kuranui Old Boys bats first, and he gets into full stride, Red Star could find themselves chasing big numbers.

The hurt from last weekend's defeat will have Red Star fired up for tomorrow's action.

They will know a repeat of their first day labours will see them relegated to the spectator role on Sunday but, conversely, if they can replicate their batting and bowling efforts of the second day they will probably prevail.

Lansdowne will be in a confident frame of mind after their Bidwill Cup success, even though they were hanging on by the skin of the teeth at the end. The failure of gun batsman Henry Cameron to score heavily in that match was probably a good omen for tomorrow as it is difficult to imagine him struggling for runs again.

The Wairarapa College trump card could be Justin Herbert, whose enormous knock of 200-plus against Greytown a couple of weeks back had to be the batting highlight of the entire club season.

Promising youngsters like Jack Wakeling and Stefan Hook-Sporry won't be overawed by the occasion either.

Both semifinals have a noon start with Sunday's final commencing at 11am.