Big hitters brought in

Hamish Rutherford.
Hamish Rutherford.
Green Island has drafted in the big hitters to help it secure a sixth club title in seven years.

Black Caps test opener Hamish Rutherford and former Black Cap Jesse Ryder will bolster the side for its declaration match against Albion at Sunnyvale on Saturday.

Rutherford was a regular in the Green Island side before his career took off two summers ago, but Ryder will be making his debut for the Swamp Rats.

The game is effectively a final. Green Island leads the Bing Harris Trophy, on 93 points, and Albion is in second place on 87 points.

With a maximum of six points up for grabs, Albion will need to win the game to share the title - anything less and the defending champion will claim another senior banner.

Green Island has won five of the last six titles, and has a star-studded line-up even without the services of Ryder and Rutherford.

Veteran seamer Dion Lobb and all-rounder Mark Joyce have been the mainstay of the team for the last 10 years, and Bradley Scott's return this year has strengthened the bowling.

Ant Harris and Scott Simpson are also very experienced and solid club players.

Albion will have Otago spinners Mark Craig and Nick Beard in the line-up and will look to all-rounder Jamie Glenn and captain Tim Ford for some spark.

Opening bowler Michael Snedden, son of former New Zealand bowler Martin Snedden, spearheads the attack, and hard-hitting opening batsman Dan Duke is also a threat.

In other games, Kaikorai (73 points) plays Carisbrook-Dunedin (85), North East Valley (50) plays University-Grange (39), and Taieri (20) plays Otago Boys' High School (20).

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