Red Star hope to use Todd

Red Star hope to have the services of Central Districts all-rounder Greg Todd for at least some of the 2011-12 Wairarapa club cricket season which gets under way next weekend.

Todd, a former Rathkeale College first XI skipper, is now contracted to Central Districts after previous stints with Otago and Auckland and his appearances for Red Star, and for Wairarapa on the representative scene, will obviously depend on his Central Districts commitments.

"We'd like to think we'd have Greg for a few games but nothing is certain," Red Star skipper Joe Hull said yesterday.

The loss of last year's captain Shay O'Gorman is a blow to Red Star as he was the mainstay of their spin attack but the return to the fold of middle-order batsman Troy Burling and medium-pace bowler Peter Sigvertsen is a definite plus.

Hull will be a key figure in the batting line-up and all-rounders Jared Watt and Nikolai Karaitiana will again be expected to make their presence felt.

Red Star played a Twenty20 "friendly" with Palmerston North Old Boys on Saturday and although Old Boys won by five wickets Hull said it was a valuable exercise for his players, most of whom were having their first serious workout before the new season begins.

"It should have helped blow a few of the cobwebs out, and that's what it was all about," he said.

Meanwhile, the Greytown Cricket Club have gained the backing of a major sponsor for the 2011-12 season.

Their senior side will be known as Turkey Red Greytown and their playing shirts will contain the Turkey Red logo.