Greytown eye playoff win

TOP CLASS: Mark Childs is a late addition to the Greytown squad.

Greytown could be crowned New Zealand Cricket club champions by the end of this week.

It's a tall order for the southerners but they have already proved being the underdogs brings out the best in them by beating Hawke's Bay, Manawatu and Taranaki to earn the right to represent Central Districts at the 20th edition of the national playoffs, starting at the Cornwall Cricket Club's headquarters in Auckland today.

Also chasing the major spoils will be Suburbs New Lynn (Auckland), Pukekohe Metro (Northern Districts), Eastern Suburbs (Wellington), East Shirley (Canterbury) and Albion (Otago) and included in the six teams will be several players who have performed at first-class level.

Greytown have Central Stags all-rounder Seth Rance while Suburbs New Lynn have Reece Young and Jeet Raval, Eastern Suburbs have Ili Tugaga, East Shirley have Tim Papps and Darrin Broom and Albion have Mark Craig and Nick Beard.

Also in the Albion line-up is former Wairarapa senior rep Daniel Ingham and Black Cap Martin Guptill is a possible starter for Suburbs New Lynn now he is free from international duties.

Of the six teams only East Shirley have a national title on their CV (2002-03) although Easterb Suburbs have made it to the playoffs in three of the past four seasons and Albion also have been there, done that.

There has been one late change to the Greytown squad with Central Districts under-17 rep Liam Burling ruled out through injury. Losing a batsman of his calibre would ordinarily be seen as a big blow but Greytown have excellent cover in coach Mark Childs, a longtime Wairarapa senior rep who has played for Central Districts A in the past.

The full Greytown squad is: Tim Lucas (captain), Gordon Reisima (vice-captain), Seth Rance, Steve Coleman, Jake Ross, Martin Reisima, Jackson Kibblewhite, Paul Lyttle, Robbie Speers, Mark Childs, Brian James, Quenten McKenna, Jake Smith and Ben Foster.

Their draw is: Today, v Eastern Suburbs; Tomorrow, v Suburbs-New Lynn; Thursday, v Albion; Friday, v East Shirley; Saturday, v Pukekohe Metro.

The top sides after round-robin play will meet on Sunday, April 13, while third will play fourth and fifth will play sixth.

Meanwhile, Wairarapa Cricket has announced its trophy winners for the 2013-14 season and it is a mark of the dominance of Greytown all-rounder Steve Coleman at senior level that he won the Arthur Hoar Bowling Cup and the Dermot Payton Batting Cup.

Coleman scored 883 runs in club cricket at an average of 46.47 and took 61 wickets at an average of 9.49.