Kendall confident of picking up Cup points

Wairarapa won't be at full strength for their Hawke Cup qualifying cricket match with Horowhenua-Kapiti at Levin tomorrow, but selector Dick Kendall is still confident of them securing enough points to stay in the hunt for a Cup challenge.
To do that a first innings lead, which is worth seven points, would be the least acceptable result and while respectful of Horowhenua-Kapiti's fighting qualities which has so far seen them avoid outright defeat in two games by the skin of their teeth Kendall sees no reason why that should be a problem.
"We might have a few players missing, but we've still got a very good cricket side and it's just a matter of them playing to their capabilities," he said. "We are certainly intent on getting a positive result??we know it is achievable and we'll be going for it."
The decision to rest Rathkeale College duo, Doug Bracewell and Simon Clinton-Baker ? because of the heavy workload they have had at senior rep, age group and college levels in recent weeks ? is understandable but does weaken the Wairarapa attack.
Bracewell's ability to maintain a tight line with his medium pacers was a feature of the first-up win over Wanganui while despite his youth and relative inexperience Clinton-Baker is widely regarded as the number one spinner in the region.
Replacing Bracewell for the Nelson game was Greytown's Shane Mellor and he did well enough with bat and ball to suggest he would be a near certainty to retain his place for this weekend.
However, a knee injury has flared up again and he won't be making the trip south.
Without Bracewell and Mellor the pressure was on Kendall to come up with a quickish bowler to support Hayden Spierling and Seth Rance while the shine is still on the ball and he has opted for Richard Wylie, a regular in the Wairarapa team a season or two back who impressed at Wednesday night's training session.
This trio will be aware of the frailities which have been exposed in Horowhenua-Kapiti's batting so far this season with the top order, in particular, struggling to find form.Obviously the quicker the inroads they make into that order the better the chances of Wairarapa securing a much-needed victory.
For Rance tomorrow's action comes just a few days after he was notified of his selection in the Central Districts under-19 side and with competition for the opening bowling spots in that team sure to be keen this is a royal opportunity for him to stake a claim.
Without Clinton-Baker Wairarapa will be relying on another Rathkeale College player in Andy Dodd to be their spinning mainstay, with possible support from vice-captain Ngatai Walker and Sam Curtis. Just how effective they will be remains to be seen, but the Levin pitch has a reputation for taking spin so their workload could be considerably heavier than it has been at our own Park Oval.
The main change in the Wairarapa batting order from the Nelson match comes in the opening berth with Curtis now partnering Cameron Stone there.
It is a role to which Curtis is well accustomed and he and Stone should make a formidable combination as stickability is their long suit.
A strong start to their innings would be hugely beneficial for Wairarapa in that it would then allow stroke makers like Eddie Hopkins, John Peters, Henry Cameron , Chris Jefferies and wicketkeeper Andy Roberts to play their natural game. They all have the batting skills to keep the score ticking over at a rapid rate but question marks do exist over their shot selection.
The onus is on them to be more prudent in that regard this weekend.
"It's important that batsmen make bowlers work hard for their wickets, that they don't give them away," Kendall said.
"We've had too many soft dismissals so far this season and we need to get out of that habit. It's all about accountability really.Everybody has to stand up and be counted?.we're not into making excuses."
On the club scene matches in the Umpires Cup senior inter-cloub competition will continue tomorrow with Gerytown perhaps having the edge over Rathkeale College in their match at Greytown, Lansdowne favoured to be narrow winners over Wairarapa College at the Park Oval and Red Star slight favourites to beat Academy at the Pugh Sportsbowl.