Old Boys sides to join senior cricket league

Kuranui Old Boys and Marist Old Boys have been accepted into the Wairarapa senior men's cricket competition for the 2012-13 season.

Seven teams will now contest the Umpires Cup one-day and More FM Twenty20 series but that number will drop to six for the Bidwell Cup two-dayers because of a heavy inter-school schedule forcing Rathkeale College not to compete.

Regular senior sides Red Star, Lansdowne, Greytown and Wairarapa College will, as usual, participate in all four competitions.

Marist Old Boys have played at senior level before but have been missing for the past 10 years.

Wairarapa Cricket Administration officer Chris Cogdale said MOB had an enthusiastic committee that was keen to provide a platform for their top players which would enable them to best showcase their talents and push for representative selection. They also intend to field an open grade side.

Kuranui Old Boys will mainly consist of players from the Kuranui College first X1 who have been together for five years and previously played in the open grade competition.

They are under the banner of the Greytown club and will have WCA cricket development officer Sam Curtis as player-coach.

Curtis, who is also coaching the Wairarapa senior men's side this season, is excited at the potential of the Kuranui Old Boys side, saying they were ready to compete in a grade which would offer a greater challenge to their abilities.

Newly elected WCA chairman Justin Herbert sees the inclusion of both Marist Old Boys and Kuranui Old Boys in the senior grade as a big plus for local cricket.

"They have young raw talent which needs to be nurtured and we are happy to give them the chance to develop their skills at the top club level," he said