Intrigue in Bidwill Cup ties

Cricket

Turkey Red Greytown will have extra motivation to turn on the fireworks in their Bidwill Cup senior men's cricket match with Wairarapa College at Greytown this weekend.

Tomorrow's action is sure to be viewed by a large group of past players celebrating the club's old-timers day, many of whom will have participated in a 15-over match starting at 10am.

Names like Tennant, Pemberton, Woollett, Saxton, O'Kane, Holmes, Doherty and Gray will probably be among those making their voices heard, along with one of the club's favourite sons, ex-Black Cap Michael Mason, who is making a guest appearance.

Having moved into second place on the Bidwill Cup points table after their outright win over Flight Centre Lansdowne last Saturday, Greytown would greatly enhance their chances of making the final by claiming maximum points off a Wairarapa College side coming off the back of an outright loss to A1 Homes Kuranui Old Boys.

Certainly there is good reason to anticipate the students struggling for runs against a Greytown attack spearheaded by the in-form Quintin McKenna, Daniel Haxton, Ben Foster and Blake Lyford who between them are quite capable of claiming the necessary 20 wickets over the two days.

Red Star are guaranteed a finals berth and the result of their clash with Lansdowne at Rathkeale College won't hold anything like the same importance for them as it will for Lansdowne, who lie third on the points table.

The need to beat Red Star outright will undoubtedly see Lansdowne - who are also celebrating their old timers' day - adopt an attacking approach, something which will suit them on the batting front where the likes of Henry Cameron, Alex Treseder, James Adamson and Choi Jackson are invariably at their best when the shackles are off.

Kuranui Old Boys take on Marist Old Boys at Kuranui College and, if the form book counts for anything, you'd have to strongly fancy Kuranui Old Boys.