Redback's depth to get the test

It will be testing times for the Hay Park Redbacks this weekend, when cricket resumes with two Twenty20 rounds on Saturday.

Captain Jono Whitney and all-rounder Ross Knoll will be missing from the Redbacks’ top order because they are away with the State Country side in South Australia’s Mt Gambier.

It will also be a testing time for English opening batsman Oliver Westbury, who has been named captain of the BDCA A-grade Country Week team later this month and will have pressure to show his mettle.

Another test comes up for curators around the region who will be working feverishly in a bid to bring up fields and pitches after a long, hot dry spell has left them needing a huge dose of TLC.

Sitting just below the top-of-the-T20 table Redbacks are four teams on two wins in Marist, Dalyellup Beach, Eaton and Colts followed by Leschenault with one win and the winless Collie and Harvey-Benger.

The Redbacks face a tough task in Colts in the morning and Harvey-Benger in the afternoon, both at Hay Park. There are some match winners in the Harvey-Benger side left over from two years ago and should Haydn Jones hit his straps and former WA Country XI all-rounder Scott Fowler fire together with Darren Bozanich and Hamish Minton, the Bulls are not beyond an upset.

Colts took the Christmas break on top of the one-day leaderboard with a timely return to form by Ian Prosser and the continuing rise of teenager Nick Barr. Add to that leading BDCA runmaker Murray Goodwin, English import James Middleton, Kyle Davis, Cruize Ciallella and company to set a target for Barningham, Geoff Barr, Josh Topliss and Ciallella which could cause problems for the depleted Redbacks.

Colts face the toughest task in a powerful Eaton boasting James Hillery, Clint Hewson and Clayton Caltsounis in the afternoon, while reigning T20 champions Marist will warm up with a match against the Harvey-Benger Bulls before taking on Ben Cooper’s Dalyellup Beach Settlers.