WAGGA paceman Jake Hindmarsh is likely to be thrown the new ball when he debuts for Riverina at the NSW Country Championships in Wagga on Friday.
Hindmarsh has been rewarded for his form over the past 12 months with selection for Riverina, who open the championships with a clash against Western Zone at Robertson Oval.
Riverina captain Joel Robinson is keen to throw Hindmarsh the new ball.
“I personally think we’ll go with Jake and Dave Tassell,” Robinson said.
“We’ll have a meeting about it but that’s the way I’d go.”
Robinson is also captain of Hindmarsh at club level, as well as in Wagga’s representative team.
He has full faith in the young quick.
“I think he’ll go well,” Robinson said.
“He hasn’t had the best start to the season at club level but he’s not far away and if he gets it all to click on any one of the days then he can be pretty damaging.
“Last season, in a lot of people’s minds, he was the premier fast bowler in the competition so I think he deserves a crack at a higher grade.
“He’s shown in O’Farrell Cup that he can take bags of wickets, and with his hat-trick in the Twenty20 Big Bash earlier this year.”
Hindmarsh, Robinson and Josh Thompson will be Wagga’s representatives on Friday with David Bolton to play in Saturday’s match against South Coast.
Robinson is yet to hit a score this season at club level and hinted he may drop down the order for Riverina.
“I obviously haven’t had an ideal start to the season but I’m just happy the team is winning,” Robinson said.
“Personally I would like to score more runs and this year I might take a step down the order in the Riverina side.
“Batting in the middle order can go two ways, you can come in when you’re in trouble, which is not ideal, or you can come in during the middle to late innings and finish off the job that the top order has done.
“I think this is my fifth straight season playing for Riverina and there is players, probably three or four in each team, that have been around for that long.
“I’m hoping I can use that experience, playing against those guys, to our team’s advantage.”
He hopes to lead Riverina to a better campaign than last year’s fourth-placed finish.
“I definitely think we’ll improve,” he said.
“I haven’t seen too much of the other teams but I know South Coast will be big improvers, apparently they can pick Canberra players now.
“It will be good to get off to a good start and get the ball rolling from there.”
Play starts from 10am on Friday.
