Hopes high for a repeat

ON: Tim Lucas says getting Matthew Sinclair out will be a priority.

GREYTOWN have a hard act to follow when they begin their national interclub limited-overs cricket competition campaign with a match against Napier Old Boys at Nelson Park, Hastings, on Sunday.

Victory there will set Greytown on the same path as 12 months ago, when they grabbed the headlines by winning the Central District play-offs and going on to place fifth at the national finals.

Napier Old Boys will be a handful. They are the Hawke's Bay champions and, in former Black Cap and long-time CD rep Matthew Sinclair, they have a top order batsman who still makes a habit of scoring heavily whenever he goes to the crease.

Greytown skipper Tim Lucas concedes that dismissing Sinclair before he gets into full stride would be a huge boost for his side's chances of success.

"He's a quality player and we have to get him early, it's as simple as that."

Aiding the Greytown cause in that regard is the surprise availability of in-form Central Stag paceman Seth Rance, who has missed the past couple of Stag games because of a groin strain. He has apparently been encouraged to play by the CD selectors so they can assess his fitness and Greytown will benefit hugely from his presence; as an opening bowler and hard-hitting middle order batsmen.

Rance will spearhead a Greytown attack, which will also include the ever-consistent Tony Russo, a prolific wicket-taker on the Wairarapa club scene, Lucas and Gordon Reisima. In the batting department, big things will be expected of Wairarapa reps Robbie Speers and Paul Lyttle.

The likely Greytown starting line-up is: Tim Lucas, Paul Lyttle, Gordon Reisima, Jackson Kibblewhite, Tony Russo, Robbie Speers, Cole Freeman, Jake Ross, Seth Rance, Luke Dingle and Anthony Butterfield.

Meanwhile, matches in The Rock T20 senior men's competition will continue tomorrow with Greytown up against Wairarapa College at Greytown and Rathkeale College taking on Lansdowne at Queen Elizabeth Park oval in Masterton. Both games get under way at 4pm.