The 2020 Pollock Cup competition starts this Sunday at Harewood Golf Club with six teams competing; Christchurch, Harewood, Pegasus, Russley, Waitikiri and great to see Clearwater returning after a two-year hiatus.
Pegasus and Clearwater meet in the first game of the round and all eyes will be on the top of the order clash between Pegasus’ import Momoka Kobori (Rangiora) and Clearwater’s Amelia Garvey, both back from University in America. The Pegasus squad has a similar look to last year with addition of Momoka and Deanna Matthews, together with Amy Weng, Yoyo Fu, Karen de Latour, Bobbi Oliver, Sharon Stewart and Sally-Anne Rossiter make up a balanced squad of youth and experience. Clearwater, back in Pollock Cup this year could be the surprise package, their squad has a good mix with Amelia, Virginia Faass, Rachel Eder, Lynda Vieceli, Di Kay and Julie Battersby together with imports Nicky Muir (Hororata) and Angela Mowbray (Methven).
Last year’s runner-up Christchurch will be motivated to go one better this year, and the team is unchanged from 2019 with Canterbury players Catherine Bell, Olive Tapu, Melissa Newburn together with Nicola Webb, Mel Brew, Robyn Gillespie and import Marg-Mary Coughlan (Mt Nessing). They face last year’s semi-finalists Harewood, whose squad also has a very settled look with Catherine Knight at the top of the order, together with Lynn Brand, Anne Dick, Debbie Scott, Pam McTaggart and imports Jo Kent (Rangiora) and Lynda Brown (Timaru).
In the final game of the round defending champions Russley will again have their eye on the silverware, attempting a third consecutive title and play Waitikiri first up. Waitikiri’s squad includes Suzette Eastmond, Chris Marple, Rosalie Neaves, Jenny Clarke, Lynley Watts, Cheryl Kemp together with imports Ginny Bolderston (Geraldine) and Jana Beneke (Kaiapoi) who will have benefited from her first look at Pollock Cup in 2019. Russley will again field a strong line up with Maddie May at No.1 together with Hillary O’Connor, Estelle Lin, Jasmine Clancy, Alisia Ren, Louise Hegan, Bridget Hoffman and import Adrienne Shadbolt (Tai Tapu).
This year’s Pollock Cup has a very even look to it, and there promises to be some exciting match-ups, especially at the top of the orders, with past and present Canterbury Rep players pitched against each other.
With no Semi-Finals this year, the two Final berths will be very hotly contested, culminating at Waitikiri Golf Club on 8 November.
Click here to view the Draw
