Karori look to turn the tables on Easts

BY SAM WORTHINGTON

Karori captain Simon Baker says his side enter tomorrow's Pearce Cup final with a "calm confidence" against eight-time defending champions Eastern Suburbs.

The three-day showdown at Barton Oval is a rematch of last year's final, a low-scoring affair which Easts won by two wickets.

Karori enter the final as top qualifiers – meaning Easts need to win outright to extend their dynasty – and with some self-belief gained from beating Easts in this season's one-day final.

Karori's Wellington players, batsman Stephen Murdoch and medium-pacer Lee Edwards, are both expected to back up from their four-dayer against Otago, which ends today.

"[Lee] will probably be bowling all day [today] so he might be a bit weary but he'll pull through," Baker said.

"He might not be 100 per cent but I'm pretty sure the Pearce Cup final will overcome that."

Baker said there was no mental hangover from losing last year's final to Easts.

"Very much a clean slate. There's a lot more of a calm confidence around us this year than last year.

"Somebody once said you've got to lose a final to win a final and that's proven right this year."

Karori have been boosted with the return from injury of Harry Boam and Simon Allen. "It has all fallen into place quite nicely," Baker said.

Easts have named a 15-man squad which includes New Zealand offspinner Jeetan Patel and Wellington opening batsman Josh Brodie, who is recovering from a broken hand.

"I'd like to think we'll get one at worst and two at best," Easts skipper Lance Dry said.

"[Patel's] keen as mustard to play. He's just got to make sure his body's all right, he's had a couple of knee problems but I'd imagine he'd be fine. Josh is our best bat and Jeets would be our best bowler, so it's always nice to have them.

"Jeets has had a bit of bowling under his belt and especially having a spinner to bowl in a three-day game, his quality will make a big difference, I think."

Dry said he was more relaxed than in previous years and piled the pressure on Karori.

"The trophy is in Karori's cabinet and we've got a chance to nick it back out," Dry said. "That's how we're approaching it, it is theirs to lose now."

Dry was expecting plenty of banter between the two fierce rivals. "There's plenty to play for and I'd hate to think the teams were being too nice to each other.

"The fact is we both want to beat each other. Obviously you keep a lid on things that don't need to happen, but it adds to the whole match and it's what gets players to play at a higher level."

Meanwhile, top qualifiers Collegians and Petone-Riverside square off in the Hazlett Trophy three-day final starting tomorrow at Karori Park.

The winner gains promotion to the Pearce Cup, with University dropping back down to Hazlett next season.

HOW THEY LINE UP

What: Pearce Cup club final
Where: Barton Oval, Upper Hutt
When: Tomorrow till Sunday, 11am start

Karori (from): Simon Baker (c), Marc Ellison, Harry Boam, Tom Blundell, Hamish Templeton, Simon Allen, Chris Spring, Lee Edwards, Jarrad Sewell, Sunny Chan, Harry Wright, Jono Sole, Vinnie Ward.

Easts (from): Lance Dry (c), Josh Brodie, Josh McLauchlan, Chamika Gajanayaka, Jeremy Dean, Scott Golder, David Holt, Josh Stuart, Niranjan Naguleswaran, Jeetan Patel, Ricky Joseph, Nathan Cameron, Roger Fouhy, Ben Gamble, Jamie O'Donnell.

Umpires: Evan Watkin and Jeremy Busby.

- © Fairfax NZ News