The 2022/2023 Nelson Cricket Association Premier Competition is upon us, with Round One washed out last Saturday. This season sees the return of the red ball, with a Two-Day competition on the menu for the first time in five seasons. The trade-off for this has been the conclusion of the combined Nelson and Marlborough' Tasman Premier League', with the Nelson clubs electing to play more cricket in their own backyard. A double round-robin 50 over competition and a one-round Twenty20 competition will accompany the Two-Dayers.
2021/2022 TPL: Winners NCA 50 over: Winners Twenty20: Winners
Players In: Hamish Blomfield (Australia), Matt Eden (Auckland), Josh Simpson (Christchurch)
Players Out: Reuben Smith (Retired), Jonty Raxworthy (Stoke-Nayland), Brady Barnett (Wolves), Kevin Dsouza (Auckland), Aravinda Panditaratne (Auckland)
NBS ACOB will be tasked with the difficult job of backing up last season's unbeaten run, where they beat all-comers every week, especially impressive based on having a handful of Representative cricketers that missed a significant number of matches. Their depth will be tested this season with the retirement of 100+ match veteran, and frontline seamer, Reuben Smith, and the transfers of leading batsman Jonty Raxworthy and former First-Class player Brady Barnett. Kevin Dsouza and Aravinda Panditaratne are also defections, both moving to Auckland for employment purposes.
New arrival Hamish Blomfield looks to be a promising talent, having recently arrived in the district, while seamer Matt Eden returns to the fold and will help to offset the departure of Smith
The Zohrab twins, David and Thomas, are returning later in the summer and will assume key roles in the side, as will the Restieaux brothers, Finn and Ronan, with Ronan joining his clubmates upon competition of his season abroad in Ireland. Former Representative all-rounder Josh Simpson is expected to return this summer once his university commitments are completed.
Representative talisman Oliver Jones-Allen will be at the helm again, and there will be opportunities for others to step up to fill the void left by outgoing player movement, with all-rounder Mitchell Bailey shaping up as a key member of the batting list, with James Graham, Sam Berkett and Blomfield also looking to make an impression with the blade in hand. Leading wicket-taker Martin Slabbert proved too much for teams last season and will once again return to Jones-Allen's bowling arsenal.
After several seasons at the top, ACOB will need more players to step up this year, but their depth last season would certainly make you hesitant to doubt them.
2021/2022 TPL: 4th NCA 50 over: Runner-Up Twenty20: Fourth
Players In: Jonty Raxworthy (ACOB), Ryan du Plessis (South Africa), Lucca Hemingway (Nelson College)
Players Out: Sean Neal (Wolves)
Car Company Stoke Nayland will be looking to improve on what, by their standards, was a disappointing season, and were quick to add former Representative coach Ryan Edwards to right the ship. Helping Edwards cause is the addition of last season's Player of the Year in Jonty Raxworthy, hard hitting South African Ryan du Plessis and promising gloveman Lucca Hemingway. Finn Raxworthy also joined the club late last season after starting the season in Canterbury and is on deck again, while seamer Tim O'Connor is as good as a new signing having moved back to the region on a full-time basis after making infrequent appearances in the past few seasons.
Skipper Dylan Eginton will again lead the seam attack that includes consistent performers Jared Silvester, Cameron Neame, Billy Guyton, and O'Connor. The departure of Sean Neal looks to leave a significant hole in the slow bowling stocks, and the middle order, although the side look to have the batting depth to make do.
Chris Dittmer will again return to the top of the batting order, having won the Vonda Edwards Trophy for most runs last season, and will be ably assisted by Josh Smith, Darius Skeaping, the Raxworthy twins, du Plessis, Hemingway, and veteran Ben Homan in what looks a deep batting line-up.
Representative duties will test Stoke-Nayland this season, with a handful of players in the initial Nelson squad, how they perform without their top players may define their success this season.
2021/2022 TPL: 3rd NCA 50 over: Sixth Twenty20: Runner-Up
Players In: Brady Barnett (ACOB), Jack White (Northamptonshire), Sean Neal (Stoke-Nayland), Liam Hobbs (Motueka Seconds), Justin Hobbs (Motueka Seconds)
Players Out: Harsh Visavadiya (Christchurch), Craig Hampton (Retired)
Taylors Contracting Wolves have been active in the off-season, with Representative coach Brady Barnett heading back to his Motueka roots in a player/coach capacity and has gone about assembling a team that will be around when the whips are cracking, something that will bring excitement to both Motueka and Wanderers clubs.
The Wolves have the most exciting arrival in the league in the form of Englishman Jack White, who returns to the club in a very different position to when he was last here. Now a regular in the Northamptonshire setup he has 55 First Class wickets at an average of 24.81 and his best bowling performance just a fortnight ago of 9/98 for the match indicates that he is the real deal. They'll also welcome Representative all-rounder Sean Neal, who will add something to the side in every facet and is expected to assume the captaincy. Dynamic father and son duo of Justin and Liam Hobbs make the step up from being consistent performers for Motueka in Second Grade, and Barnett himself will add some hard hitting and flat bowling.
All-rounder Joseph O'Connor had a massive season in his return to the club last year, and will be a key contributor once again, while club stalwarts Hayden Ingham and Kyle Paki Paki both return also. Big seamer Joshua Newport was on the books last season prior to his season-ending knee injury, and his return would ensure one of the most potent seam attacks in the region in recent times. Jamie O'Donnell has been a find for the club since his return to Nelson and will be a key part of a side that will also give opportunities to some exciting youth prospects including Jacob Ogilvie and Cam McLean.
With the best side that Motueka/Wanderers have put together on paper since their amalgamation, it looks like there are possible titles on the way for the club from the West.
2021/2022 TPL: Runner-Up NCA 50 over: Fourth Twenty20: Fifth
Players In: Damian Aitken (University)
Players Out: No notable omissions
Wakatu are coming off one of their most consistent seasons in recent times, making it to the final of the Tasman Premier League in skipper Bud Jacksons' first season in charge. One of the key aspects to their success was the performance of seamers Noah Hassan and Nibu Jose, who took 61 wickets between them. Jose, who made his Nelson debut last season, is set to miss the bulk of this season as he heads back to India.
The evergreen Campbell McLean heads an experienced batting list, with Bryan Krammer, Daniel Hooper, Brad Smith, and Jackson making up a formidable middle order. Usual regular batsmen Mason Robinson and Dustin Emms-Healey remain at the club but intend to play most of their cricket at Second Grade level. Krammer was a find last season, promoted from Wakatu Gold to average 41 for the Premier side, including a very well made 78.
The exciting Hassan will lead the pace bowling attack, with the club welcoming fellow seamer Damian Aitken back in the University break to join Ryan Hooper, Lochie O'Hara and McLean as the main seam bowling stock. Representative spinner Matthew O'Sullivan will again be vice-captain and will get through plenty of overs of his right arm off break in between his Nelson commitments, the mysterious Dhamesha Rathnayake is another spin option and was successful last season.
This consistent club have managed to keep a settled squad for yet another season and will be looking to add to some recent finals appearances and turn them into silverware.
2021/2022 TPL: Seventh NCA 50 over: Third Twenty20: Third
Players In: Paul Elimger (Bay of Plenty), Will Bixley (Nelson College), Flynn Day (Nelson College)
Players Out: Billy Powick (Season off), Daniel Endersby (Summer away)
Waimea Toi Toi United emerged at the end of last season as a vastly competitive team, and their patience with development of young talent is looking to pay dividends in the seasons ahead.
Experienced all-rounder Sam Baxendine is at the helm again in a captain/coach role, and has also returned to the Nelson Representative squad, he'll share the captaincy with popular teammate Jack Aldridge as they look to continue developing a young and exciting team.
New to the region, Paul Elimger offers a young Tigers side some experience with the bat and an option of some leg break bowling, adding to a growing spin attack with Mitchell Grant and all-rounder Parth Nagpal. The Tigers also welcome two Nelson College graduates in seam bowling all-rounder Will Bixley and left-handed batsman Flynn Day, who is also working on his bowling. Both men bring experience and leadership at College and will be looking to carry this over to another young side.
The Tigers have managed to retain the bulk of their team from last year, where Ryan Flowers and Carl Quinn looked to be promising prospects with willow in hand.
Baxendine will once again spearhead the seam attack, with plenty of overs on offer for his long-time new ball partner Amit Dhiman and a big chance for the talented Hamish Chisnall to bowl long spells, and hopefully James Ranson can deliver on some of his promised ability.
The Tigers will again give plenty of opportunity to their young talent, while trying to take the next step as a unit, aiming to play more consistent cricket and compete for regular trophies.
2021/2022 TPL: Eighth NCA 50 over: Fifth Twenty20: Sixth
Players In: N/A
Players Out: Lucca Hemingway (Stoke-Nayland), Will Bixley (WTTU Tigers), Flynn Day (WTTU Tigers)
Nelson College line up again for another season in the Premier competition, under the tutelage of coach Jon Routhan, who is expected to slot into the top order when available.
With another group of older players graduating from the College program, there will be opportunities for others to emerge and make a name for themselves at a Premier level. Of course, most members of last seasons squad have now got an additional season of experience at this level under their belt and have been working hard ahead of the new season, with Two Day cricket being especially exciting to the team.
Sam John, Jordan Kelso, and Lucky Singh established themselves with some good performances in the top order last season and will be looking to do that more consistently and go on to post some big scores this season.
The bowling stocks look strong, with Logan Andrews on the radar as one of the sharpest bowlers in town, if he can bowl consistently then he could go onto much higher levels, he's expected to share the seam bowling duties with Josh Neale, Harry Restieaux, Fenton Bayley, and captain Jake Walters. Ben Neale and Singh will be expected to have the bulk of the slow bowling duties, with other squad members also ready to step in and take their chances in a well-rounded attack.
With a settled line-up of reliable players, it looks like there will be some more consistency from Nelson College this year. They continue to do a good job of being competitive year on year and feeding players to other clubs as players leave the College, playing a big role in the sport in the district.
