Wairarapa's Borren set for Windies tour

Gun cricket allrounder Peter Borren has very probably played his last match for Wairarapa this season.

Borren, who skippered Wairarapa for the first time during their impressive first innings win over Hawke's Bay in a Hawke Cup qualifying match last weekend, is likely to miss the two-day fixtures against Taranaki and Horowhenua-Kapiti because of international duties.

He will almost certainly be captaining the Netherlands on their tour of the Caribbean, a tour which will see them play several West Indies provincial sides.

Borren failed with the bat against Hawke's Bay but more than compensated for that with an outstanding effort with the ball, taking four wickets, two of them in successive balls, as Hawke's Bay fell 33 runs short of Wairarapa's first innings tally of 140.

And he also impressed with his aggressive leadership, often having six or seven players fielding in the slip or point cordon.

Borren only got the captaincy job because first-choice captain Greg Todd was attending a friend's wedding but the good news for Wairarapa is that Central Stag Todd is expected to be available for both the Taranaki and Horowhenua-Kapiti matches. Like Borren he is a proven performer with bat and ball.

Some of the Wairarapa squad are likely to be part of a Chairman's XI which will play the Wellington under-18s in a two-day match on Queen Elizabeth Park Oval in Masterton on January 4 and 5.

But Wairarapa selector Mark Brown will also be taking the opportunity to give "fringe" players the chance to show their wares on a higher stage.

"We want to give those who are doing well at club level and are pushing hard for the reps the chance to make that next step. It'll be a big game for them."