THERE’LL be a feast of fours and sixes on grounds across Port Macquarie tomorrow when the Hastings River District Cricket Association kicks off its twenty20 competition in all grades.
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They won’t be wearing coloured clothes, but there’ll still be plenty of runs as Port’s batsmen put the bowlers firmly in their sights.
That will certainly be the case at Oxley Oval when the Port City Leagues Magpies take on Comboyne.
Both teams have plenty of men who will adapt well to the twenty20 arena.
Comboyne captain Andrew Glover was confident his team would do well, despite next to no experience playing the format.
“Only a handful of us have actually played twenty20 before,” Glover said.
“But I think it should suit us well.”
He expected players like his brother Mark Glover, Rob Cutler, Tom Rienstra, Tom Salter and the evergreen Bill Newell to do well.
“He’ll be good to bat, but he won’t be much good in the field,” Glover joked of Newell.
“He’s too slow.”
Newell will also come in handy with his finger spinners set to trouble batsmen looking to score quickly.
“There’s no pace to work with,” Glover said.
Glover looked forward to having the first hit-out, before taking part in the first twenty20 night match against Wauchope RSL next Wednesday.
“It’s good to have a hit-out before playing under lights,” he said.
“It should be interesting at the start of the second innings.”
He was referring to the time when it is getting dark but when the lights have yet to take effect.
“They say the lights are really good at Wayne Richards Park, but kicking a football is a bit different to playing cricket,” he said.
“Lucky no-one around here can bowl at 150km/h.”
Some of the opposition will still be dangerous though. The likes of Chris Cole, Tim Harris and Jesse Schmidt will be a constant threat.
“Their whole 11 will be dangerous.” Glover said.
“It will be a hard game.”
In the other games tomorrow, Macquarie Hotel takes on Camden Haven at Wayne Richards Park, and Wauchope RSL hosts Port Panthers Pirates at Andrews Park.