Cricket reps face pivotal match at Horton Park

Marlborough’s senior rep cricketers face a must-win encounter at Horton Park this weekend.

They take on Buller in a Hawke Cup zone three elimination game, seeking both redemption for an earlier loss to the men from Westport this season and vital points in the race to gain a challenge for the prestigious trophy.

Both sides lost their first encounters last weekend. Marlborough went down on the first innings against Canterbury Country, Buller suffering the same fate against Nelson in a low-scoring encounter.

Marlborough played Buller earlier this season in a Scanlon/Stretch Trophy match at Horton Park, the home side being soundly beaten. An inability to score runs was the issue that day, Marlborough being dismissed for just 107 in a 50-over clash.

One of the Marlborough batsman to shine on that occasion was allrounder Akhil Pant, who scored a superb maiden rep century in Rangiora last weekend. He and Tarin Mason, also an allrounder, have been the outstanding batsmen so far this season and will be hoping for more support this weekend from the specialist batters.

Sam Boyce returns to the Marlborough squad and is likely to play after opener Chris Bartholomeusz suffered a training injury. Twelve players are allowed to take part in the two-inning encounter.

Marlborough:

Tom Sutherland, Chris Bartholomeusz, Andrew McCaa, Matthew Stretch (captain), Jerrym Lamb, Tarin Mason, Ahkil Pant, Nick Weaver, Bailey Andrews-Kennedy, Will Smith, Benjamin Ivory-McCullum (keeper), Matt McCormick, Sam Boyce.

Buller

: Troy Scanlon, Michael Grafton, Andrew Duncan, James Richards, Ben Pratt, Frano Volckman, Nathan Thompson, Jack Ferguson, John Noble, Callum Lennon, Sam Jope, Alex Paterson.

Play starts at 10.30am each day.