“It would be great to bring him into a four-prong bowling attack, but we’re a bit short,” said captain Greg Smith.
“He’ll have to be the workhorse again, but he loves that.”
Therefore, needing another pace bowler, Smith and coach Warren Marr are going a little left field, having been impressed with Wanganui Renegades’ Ryan Donaldson.
Renegades came up into a new look Premier 1 grade for the first half of this season, having no active representative players, but have been competitive and then last weekend pulled the upset against Property Brokers United.
Although Donaldson did not play that match, he had been invited to attend a couple of Whanganui sessions, and while still young and learning, Smith said they want to send a clear signal that they are trying to develop players and give them a pathway.
“This is a great thing to say to Renegades – “you’ve come up, you’ve not disgraced yourselves, and you’re producing great young players”.
“We need some bowling, and he runs in all night at training.
“We do battle [for numbers], we do play associations that have more support and structure – got that player pool.
“It’s a massive factor, but so long as we show we’re getting somewhere.”
For a player like Donaldson, or anyone else coming from outside the regular selection locations of United, Wanganui Vet Services Marist and Whanganui Collegiate, Smith said the key is to offer them a positive and nurturing culture - no one expects miracles on debut.
“At times, from my previous experience here, we haven’t done that in the right way.
“Just make cricket in the region stronger.”
Another good thing about fresh faces is they don’t have the “mental scarring” of Whanganui’s previous heavy losses, and Smith just wants young players willing to play “fearless cricket”, even if it takes them a while to adjust to the higher level.
“Give that individual a bit more belief, that ‘I can do this’ attitude.”
Manawatū certainly have that as the competitions form team, having held off the former Hawke Cup owners Hawke’s Bay by 15 runs at home to get a first innings points victory in late October.
They followed that up with another first-innings points victory away to Horowhenua Kapiti in November, being only four wickets shy of an outright innings victory.
Batsman Mitch Renwick scored 114 in that match, while Arana Noema-Barnett, Maara Ave, Curtis Heaphy and Mason Hughes have all picked up half centuries this campaign.
Noema-Barnett has six wickets so far, while Jack Harris and Brad Fulton have five each.
“We’re looking to replicate [their development], but you never know, we’ve pulled off first innings [wins] before,” said Smith.
“Anything can happen at Vic’ Park.”
Also returning to the Whanganui side is batsman Matt Simes, who is playing club cricket in Wellington and missed the Taranaki game after playing in the season opener against Wairarapa.
Play starts at 10.30am on both Saturday and Sunday.
The Whanganui team is:
Greg Smith ©, Hadleigh O’Leary, Mark Fraser, Carter Hobbs, Liam Hall, Daniel Burgess, Chris Sharrock, Sam Roebuck, Matt Simes, Connor O’Leary, Ryan Donaldson, One TBC.
Whanganui’s remaining Furlong Cup draw is:
December 3-4: vs Manawatū, Victoria Park
December 10-11: vs Hawke’s Bay, Napier
January 14-15: vs Horowhenua-Kapiti, Levin.
Cricket Whanganui’s Combined Twenty20 resumes action with four matches being played on the Springvale fields and one more at Victoria Park.
Wanganui Old Boys-Tech and the Hunterville Hackers take their turn at double duty, the latter playing their first matches of the competition.
Three games will start at 12.30pm, followed by the other two at 3.30pm.
Draw for December 1, Combined Twenty20
Property Brokers Wanganui United White vs Property Brokers Wanganui United Blue
Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens vs Wanganui Old Boys-Tech
Kaitoke Knight Riders vs Hunterville Hackers
Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI vs Wicket Warriors Whanganui
Wanganui Old Boys-Tech vs Hunterville Hackers
Bye: Wanganui Renegades.
