CRICKET: Dwindling numbers hits women's game | Hawkes Bay Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Hawkes Bay

Cricket's demise, they say, is mainly because it's too long a day on the field in summer.

But how could that be possible _ 1pm to about 5.30pm _ is only about 4 1/2 hours.

``Aha, not if you're a teenager. By the time they get out of bed the day is pretty much over if you're playing cricket,'' a jovial soul remarked.

Jokes aside, cricket's demise is not too different from the swine flu epidemic.

It's a virus that has gradually taken hold of Hawke's Bay women's cricket too. Their dwindling number of players is mirror of their premier men's club season which started a fortnight ago.

Nevertheless, like a flu epidemic, the code will have to ride out the cycle, to bolster their numbers inevitably by injecting and nurturing youth.

When the women's season starts today, the four teams will have a youthful look about them with a few experienced players providing the base for stability.

That no team _ defending champions Cornwall, Napier Old Boys Marist (NOBM), Napier Tech Old Boys (NTOB) or Craft and Hern Havelock North _ wants to wear the favourites tag speaks volumes.

Cornwall coach Bob Morgan told SportToday: ``We're looking to rebuild and we're not too worried about winning.

``We're just trying to get 11 players on the field,'' said the Bay women's coach who has placed Central Districts triallist Aroha Northover and former CD rep Krystina ``George'' Fredric at the helm as co-captains when they host NOBM at 1pm.

NOBM, who have been hit the hardest, on the other extreme are just happy to have the bare 11 this season, considering they will lose the services of captain Abby Burrows to CD and national duties as well as those of Kelly Winkley.

``We just want to have fun and winning isn't everything,'' said Burrows, who will rely on senior players such as Jillian ``Scooby'' Suckling and Lisa Hayes to assume the mantle of captaincy when she and Winkley are out of the equation.

``The results will come but having 11 players out there will help.''

Marist have lost the services of White Ferns wicktekeeper/batsman Rachel Priest, who has returned to Taranaki, and Leanne Mahoney, who has moved to Wellington.

Facing a daunting prospect at club level, Burrows is hopeful her team will work as a collective and try to encourage ``anyone to come along for game''.

Havelock and Tech, who are playing at Nelson Park, Napier, appear to have more stability even though the odd Saturday player numbers may become an issue.

With CD trailist Sanika Ragnekar, who enigmatically didn't make the CD Development side last season, as captain and CD rep Michele Frey as her deputy, the villagers perhaps have a more balanced side than the others with Amy Foster (Wellington Development rep this season), Emma Keong and Sally Hensman coming back from university in a fortnight.

It's a testimony to coach Peter Hensman's foresight to take punishing losses on the chin and invest in grooming in their youth over the seasons for a side born out of Havelock North Intermediate.

However, do not mention the ``f'' word to Hensman.

``We'll shy from the favourites title because we can be weak in terms of the younger ones who can feel a little intimidated,'' said Hensman, who has inherited several new players who will add to the impetus of CD triallist Olivia Gregory.

``The team is aiming for more consistency this year. Last year we played the odd good game but this year we want to win more games, enjoy our cricket and continue to develop our younger players so that we have real depth in our squad,'' says the cricket stalwart whose mantra has always been ``develop the young''. He received New Zealand Cricket's national award last season to his contribution to Bay women's cricket.

Tech player/coach Donna Trow, who can easily claim the bragging rights as the yardstick for the best fielding unit, last season returns with her youthful troops, but has CD triallists in Sophie Davies, Hannah Burland and Malorie Bartosh-Short.

Bay co-captain/selector Trow too has the balance of Hensman's Havelock but will lack the batting prowess of Jo Bond, who is working in Australia.

All said and done, it need not be a bad thing.

Yes, numbers need to pick up and that can be achieved when the win-at-all-cost mentality takes back seat to development.

The exodus of CD and national representatives will create a vacuum in which the young will thrive on a relatively more equal footing and the competition will be better for it.

And, of course, one team will be etching their name on the trophy.