Cricket: Powerful squad heads off to Chapple Cup

Ian Snook

Taranaki batter Rupert Young is coming off a century in the Furlong Cup last weekend and will play for his province in the Chapple Cup starting this week. Photo by: Taranaki Cricket

Jordan Gard, soon to clock up his 50th game, will lead a powerful Whitaker Civil Engineering squad of aggressive batsmen and pace bowlers, and a couple of crafty spinners, into this year’s version of the Chapple Cup in Palmerston North, this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

With a new format in place comprising five rounds of T20’s, there will be no place for the sluggard.

In the previous ten years Hawkes Bay have been the big winners with four victories, Manawatu have three, and Nelson, Wairarapa and Taranaki have one each, with Taranaki’s as far back as 2018/19.

The Chapple Cup would look great sitting beside the Furlong and Hawke Cups, and this is a group brimming with talent.

With the inclusion of positive newcomer Jack Parker (New Plymouth Old Boys) at the top of the innings, and the reintroduction of the big hitting Rob Northcott (Hawera United), the first time back since 2013, the extra sting in the batting lineup will be enlarged in no small way.

Parker is striking at over 200 in club T20’s this season, with Northcott averaging 50 and striking at 130, and is most likely the biggest hitter of sixes in the province.

Last years two standouts at the tournament, lefty Liam Muggeridge (Stratford) and Taranaki’s top player of the season, Rupert Young (NPOB), will be padded up early and raring to go. Muggeridge in particular loves the busyness of the short form innings and will be chasing hard after the bowlers to be the dominant contender.

The stylish Bailey Wisnewski (Inglewood) will kick things off, with further stroke makers Jacob Leuthard-Richards (NPMU), Robson Chapman (NPMU), skipper Gard (NPOB) and freakish Ben Frewin (NPOB) all capable of playing big innings in short periods.

Mattie Thomas (NPOB) will become Taranaki’s sixth centurion if all five games go ahead, with his all-round experience, a valuable tool to be slotted in as and where required.

His spin twin, the magical Liam Carr (NPOB), will be a key element in the team’s progress, whilst the second newcomer Francis Douglas College pupil Asher Ryan will be the pace bowling support for Frewin and Gard. This will be a further step in what is shaping as a hugely promising career.

Ryan is also a very accomplished batsman meaning there is not a weakness from one to eleven in the lineup which must surely give every batsman the confidence to get out there and get on with it.

This is also a very strong fielding side, an important element in T20’s, so with the necessary hunger and belief, they will be chasing hard after the top slot.

From the outside it would appear that they are not on the favourable side of the draw with current highflyers Whanganui in the group and perennial winners Hawkes Bay, also on the same side of the draw.

Still, to win something worthwhile you need to beat the best.

Draw:

Friday 19 December, 11.00am, v Nelson
Friday 19, 3.30pm, v Whanganui
Saturday 20, 10.00am, v Hawkes Bay
Saturday 20, 2.00pm, semifinals
Sunday 21, finals.

Squad:

Jordan Gard ©, Bailey Wisnewski, Jack Parker, Rupert Young, Liam Muggeridge, Jacob Leuthard-Richards, Robson Chapman, Rob Northcott, Ben Frewin, Mattie Thomas, Liam Carr, Asher Ryan. Coach: Chris Coombe, manager: Peter Wisnewski.