Hinds pin hopes on top order

Cricket

Central Hinds will be relying on their top order batting to put the pressure on Auckland Hearts in their series of women's cricket matches to be played at Queen Elizabeth Park Oval, Masterton, from tomorrow through to Sunday.

Coach Mike Shrimpton, a former international, says White Ferns Sara McGlashan, Rachel Priest and Kate Broadmore, and former New Zealand rep Abby Burrows, will be looking to dominate the Hearts attack in the Twenty20 fixture tomorrow and the two 50-overs game on Saturday and Sunday.

"Potentially the top order batting is very strong and we need to take full advantage of that," Shrimpton said. "The experienced players need to lead the way. If they fire then we are a chance, no matter what form of the game we are playing."

On the bowling front, Shrimpton believes Palmerston North schoolgirl Hannah Rowe is a star in the making. "She runs in hard and is pretty brisk. She's obviously one of the more talented players around."

Rowe is, however, by no means the only promising youngster in the Hinds line-up, with Shrimpton saying management were keen to give up-and-comers the opportunity to experience playing at the higher level.

"The difference between club and this sort of cricket is huge, and the only way to learn is to get them out there and have them experience it first hand. It can be tough on them but that's the way it needs to be."

Tomorrow's Twenty20 match gets under way at 2.30pm and both dayers will start at 10.30am.