There’s no hiding from heavy loss
Men against boys admits Wanganui coach
It was the standard of performance Wanganui are yet to reach at Furlong Cup level, as Hawke’s Bay picked up a big innings win at the weekend. Wanganui were spun out twice for low scores by the visitors, who were looking for a big win to move past Manawatū on the points table. Both those sides, however, will still meet for the Hawke Cup regardless, as Hawke’s Bay are the current holders.
Despite winning the toss and batting at Victoria Park on Saturday, Wanganui were dismissed shortly after lunch for just 83, as veteran spinner Angus Schaw took 6-17 including four lbw decisions.
While a couple of the calls seemed tough — Wanganui skipper Chris Sharrock was especially annoyed as it appeared that he bottom-edged a pull shot onto his pads — the home side struggled against tight slow bowling on a baked pitch.
In reply, Wanganui got an early lbw themselves through pace bowler Connor O’Leary, but Central District Stags-contracted player Bradley Schmulian then took charge for the rest of the day, ultimately making an industrious 182 from as many balls.
Getting strong support from Jonathan Whitley (78) and sitting on 142 not out from 150 balls by stumps on Saturday, the supremely fit Schmulian had hit 10 boundaries, meaning he scored 102 by finding gaps and then sprinting between the wickets in hot weather for nearly four hours.
Dominic Thompson (71 from 71 balls) carried on in the Sunday morning session, as Hawke’s Bay swiftly scored another 104 for the loss of three more wickets to get batting bonus points, declare, and leave Wanganui a daunting 275 just to make them bat again.
The one bright spot was watching 47-year-old former Black Cap Andrew Penn turn the clock back to finish with figures of 4-85, as he trundled in for 18 overs to eventually get Whitley, Schmulian and Thompson — the haul being his first wickets for Wanganui since 1995.
Told to just play his natural aggressive game, returning allrounder Nick Harding, who earned his cap with his 25th appearance for Wanganui, started the second innings well with 32 off 27 balls.
However, after pace bowler Todd Watson (2-10) broke up the opening
partnership, Schaw (5-24) began his procession through the middle and lower order again — in fact, dismissing four of the same batsmen he got in the first innings.
Wanganui were all out in fewer than 34 overs, having come nowhere close to batting through the day, as Schaw finished with stunning match figures of 11-41 from 23.3 overs.
“It was men against boys — that’s a good side,” said coach Warren Marr.
“We’re not used to facing that quality of attack at club level, and you can’t manufacture it.
“It’s a hiding. We’ll just take it on
the chin. Everyone struggles against them.”
With the Furlong Cup campaign completed, Wanganui will now enter the Chapple Cup tournament, consisting of 50-over and Twenty20 games, being played in Palmerston North over the February 18-20 weekend.
Of the current squad, Shaun O’Leary departs for Ireland this week, but the rest should be available, including the recently returned Harding and Angus Dinwiddie, along with Mark Fraser, who was unavailable at the weekend.