Experienced lineup named for first Whitaker Civil Taranaki Men’s match of the season

Up to four players could be in line for their debuts when the Whitaker Civil Taranaki men’s side gets its Furlong Cup season underway this weekend.
The team plays Wairarapa at Pukekura Park and will be looking to build on last season’s promising campaign, with some green shoots starting to show through.
Despite just six of last season’s regulars returning for game one, Head Coach Chris Coombe has been able to name an experienced squad of 13 for the weekend.
NPOB batter Oli Burbidge, Woodleigh batter Mitchell Proffit and veteran Stratford bowler Grant Commerford are set to pull on the Taranaki shirt for the first time.
Inglewood’s Richard Clough has also been named as 13th man to cover injuries if needed. The paceman had his first taste of representative cricket last season as a loan player for Whanganui but will return to club cricket if not required.
Coombe and his assistant Gary Cunningham have been able to retain a strong core of quality players from last season as well.
The prolific Dean Robinson will again captain the side and comes into Saturday’s match with a major personal milestone in sight. He is just 45 runs short of surpassing Brian Richards as Taranaki’s leading all-time run scorer.
Alongside him, key returning players will include stalwarts Liam Muggeridge, Mattie Thomas, and Michael Blanks, while CD A and age-group representative players Jordan Gard and Shay Smith will be pivotal, as will keeper Jarred Cunningham, who returns for his second year behind the stumps.
Two former players are also returning after absences – fast bowler Ben Frewin, who last played in 2021, and Sam Fastier who returns to the side after a 6-year gap. Frewin’s return will help offset the loss of pace bowler Ryan Watson, the biggest name missing from last season.
The feel-good story of the team though is the selection of 44-year-old veteran quick Grant Commerford. He makes his Taranaki debut after 26 years and 325 matches of Premier club cricket for Stratford. Over that time, he’s taken more than 580 wickets at an average of 21.4 but despite appearing for Taranaki A and Emerging Players teams in the early 2000s, he has always missed out on making the top side.
“At 40 plus, I never thought I would get the chance,” Commerford said.
“But playing for the District’s Over-40s reignited the fire and I’ve been training harder than I ever have before.
“I’ve hit the road and the gym and I’m now as fit as I’ve ever been, and I’m over the moon at this opportunity,” he said.
Coombe said Commerford’s hard work as part of the pre-season performance squad had paid off and he was excited to watch Commerford transfer his wicket-taking ability from the club game up to the next level.
“A guy like Geti epitomises what we want Taranaki cricket to be all about. He’s a hard-working, no-nonsense guy, with a real drive to always perform better and do his team proud.
“I’m looking forward to watching him on debut at Pukekura Park.”
Coombe and Cunningham have taken a different approach around their squad this season. A wider ‘performance training squad’ of 33 players have been working together since mid-August.
From that pool, the Whitaker Civil men’s side will be selected each week, as will the India Today Senior Men’s A side.
The A side will take part in a tri series against Hawkes Bay and Manawatu teams over the summer.
Coombe said it was nice to get the season underway with a game at home and he was looking forward to seeing how the team would progress after last season’s campaign.
The side finished third in the Furlong Cup, having gone into the final day of their final match with the chance win the silverware alive.
“It’s a new season and a new start but we can take the lessons from last year and continue to grow and develop our Taranaki culture,” Coombe said.
“It’s exciting to get underway and put it out on the field after a lot of hard work over the past months.”

Whitaker Civil Taranaki Men vs Wairarapa. Pukekura Park, October 28 and 29, from 10.30am:
Dean Robinson, Oli Burbidge*, Mitchell Proffit*, Sam Fastier, Liam Muggeridge, Mattie Thomas, Jarred Cunningham (w/k), Michael Blanks, Jordan Gard, Ben Frewin, Shay Smith, Grant Commerford*, Richard Clough*. (* Debutant).
Head coach: Chris Coombe
Assistant coach/Manager: Gary Cunningham

Full match details, including live scoring can be found here at PlayHQ.

Photo caption: Whitaker Civil Taranaki Men’s Mattie Thomas in Furlong Cup action against Wairarapa last season. Thomas is a key figure in an experienced lineup named for the opening match of the season at Pukekura Park this weekend. Photo: Graeme Bowden.