Wairarapa senior men's cricket selector Dick Kendall is adopting an open door policy leading into the 2006-07 season.
Kendall has planned a coaching and training session at the Bracewell Academy at Rathkeale College on Sunday, September 10 and rather than officially list those he wants to attend he says anybody with aspirations of playing at representative level should be there.
"We want to give any player who is keen to perform at that level the chance to show that they have the qualities to do that," he said. "It doesn't matter how young or how old, everyone who turns up will be welcomed."
Former New Zealand pace bowler Brendon Bracewell will be heavily involved in the running of the session as will Kendall himself and form shown there will count for plenty when Wairarapa teams to play "friendly" limited-overs matches against Victoria University on Sunday,September 24 and Taita the following weekend-both at Rathkeale-are named.
Both these games are before the official start of Wairarapa inter-club play which is set down for October 7.
Kendall is confident Wairarapa will field a very competitive senior men's team next season despite doubts about the availability of several members of last year's line-up, including captain John Peters, Henry Cameron, Ngatai Walker, Hayden Spierling and Richard Wylie.
He is especially heartened at news that the talent coming into the Bracewell Academy for the coming season is reputedly higher than ever before, something which would help boost the standard of club cricket in the region.
"From what we are hearing they (the academy) will have quite big numbers to pick from and there are some quality players amongst them, that's got to augur well for the sport here," Kendall said.
Kendall said a major aim of his will be to ensure that Wairarapa is "cricket smart", an attribute they didn't always show last season.
"We lost games then because the decision making wasn't as good as it could have been and that's something we've got to rectify', he said. "It's all very well having a good skill factor but if you don't think smart then it's hard to get the results you want."
Roll up, roll up, here's a chance to test the skills!
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