Counties Manukau cricket season opens
The Counties Manukau Cricket Association 2016/17 premiership was officially uncorked on Labour Weekend when the Inder Lynch Trophy (T20) final was played at Bruce Pulman Park.
The cricket banquet had already started with three days of T20 competition.
This will be followed by one full round of one-day cricket culminating in the Duthie Cup Final in December. The W.H. Taylor Shield (two-day) will be played over ten Saturdays after Christmas.
Whoever turned the lights off at the end of 2015/16 has turned them on again on the same six clubs.
They are, in last season’s overall finishing order, Manukau, Karaka, Pukekohe-Metro, Papakura, Waiuku and United CC.
Manukau vacuumed up all of the premier trophies last season and had the most successful season for a CMCA premiership side. It was capped off when they played in the National Club Finals in April this year.
There have been a few inter-club moves this semester; the most eye-catching is Luke Williamson’s transfer from Papakura to Karaka.
In terms of imports, Ollie Pringle (Pukekohe-Metro) lands in Counties territory from the Papatoetoe Cricket Club with a pedigree and cricket curriculum vitae.
The 24-year-old all-rounder, the son of Martin Pringle, has done well with bat and ball in Auckland Club Cricket and has some English county cricket experience under his belt.
PUKEKOHE METRO
- Ollie Pringle (Auckland), Matthew Baxter (England), Matthew Gardiner (returned from overseas), Rishekesh Umasuthan (Auckland). - Vaughan Blanchard (Papakura CC). Manager/ Coach - Dave Davies. - Corey Hunter. - Corey Hunter (capt), Kurt Barnes, Matthew Baxter, Kyle Blanchard, Katene Clarke, Richard Crosby, Matthew Gardiner, Jonathan Keen, Simon Lal, Josh Plummer, Barry Rhodes, Reid Somani, Ollie Pringle, Rishekesh Umasuthan and Ash Vodnala.
The club recently shifted from one side of Bledisloe Park to the opposite side and straight into their new clubhouse. That may give them the tonic they need to start well. October 29 - T20 Round Three: All games washed out. Round Four: Waiuku 93/9 ( Haseeb Ashraf 46, Shaun Lovett 20, Rishekesh Umasuthan 4/4, Barry Rhodes 2/14) lost to Pukekohe-Metro 94/1 (Ollie Pringle 77 no, Zac Robinson 1/17) by nine wickets. Papakura 76/4 ( Ryan Phizackerley 28 no, Devon Jones 12, Sean Wilkie 2/9) lost to Karaka 79/9 ( Hayden Wark 39 no, Tom Thexton 11, Jayden Morris 3/12, Ryan Phizackerley 2/7) by one wicket. United 120/7 ( Jono Lawrence 29, Lee Ter Huurne 24, Jarrod Halliday 3/14, JJ Mills 2/29) lost to Manukau 123/3 ( Dion Joll 49, Sandeep Patel 33, Summit Agnihotri 1/19) by seven wickets. Last time they over promised and under delivered and by the end of the season they looked like they were shadow boxing. Corey Hunter has taken over as commander-inchief on the pitch. Ollie Pringle, who scored 200 not out for Papatoetoe at the beginning of last season, will stiffen their batting roster.
Inbound player movements significantly outweigh their single player exit from last season’s regular lineup. Ash Vodnala, the former CMCA senior men’s bowler/ batter is in their squad but he has declared himself available for Central Districts for representative play.
KARAKA
- Luke Williamson (Papakura CC) Harjispreet Singh (India). - Harley Jenkins (Rugby), Brad O’Callaghan (Work and study), Lee Ter Huurne (United CC). Michael Schofield (player coach). Captain - Hayden Wark. Hayden Wark (capt), Tony Manning, Michael Schofield, Clayton Franks, Navjot Sran, Cory MacKay, Andrew Mckenzie, Dan Power, Sam Huriwai, Shaun Duarte, Tom Thexton, Alec Shackleton, Benji Cornish, Brandon Reid, David Pearce, Harjispreet Singh, Luke Williamson, Matt Hill, Terence Otterson and Victor Davies.
The untiring bridesmaid, the red and whites finished runners-up for the second year running. The gap between them and Manukau, who they didn’t manage to beat all season, was significant. The annual roll call had some bad news. Harley Jenkins, Lee Ter Huurne and Brad O’Callaghan are nonstarters for the club this time round.
Luke Williamson is most likely to couple up with Tony Manning at the top of the order but both players will make overdue starts. Williamson has exams to complete at Canterbury University, and Manning, a civil engineer, is out of town on an engineering project for the first month of the season.
Originally from Auckland, Victor Davies has become Counties-Manukau’s favourite step-son. Davies, just back from playing club cricket in England, can be a one-man highlights package at times. He took out the premier player points last season with 36 wickets and 407 runs, even though his appearances for Karaka were reduced by his representative commitments.
MANUKAU October 15 - T20
- Robert Von Elling (returning after a break), Anthony Niterl (returning after a break). Brendon Read (went overseas mid last season). - Mike Halliday. Captain - Ashwyn Herwels. Squad - Ashwyn Herwels (capt), JJ Mills, Jono Hickey, Ish Sodhi, Tamati Clarke, Nick Kelly, Jarrod Halliday, Sandeep Patel, Shalen Singh, Tristan Payle, Scott Allison, Le-Shur Vermeulen, Dion Joll, Rob von Elling, Ant Niterl, Cullen Halliday, Ram Tirth, Troy Joll and Scott Osmond.
The winners of everything last season; they have retained their players and a couple are returning to their old playground, which, in itself, is a statement under the Fair Warning Act. Not only did Manukau lap the field in 2015/16 but they did it in entertaining and attacking style with their skipper, Ashwyn Herwels, an obliging partner in that. Tamati Clarke, Nick Kelly, Jono Hickey and Ish Sodhi have all shown their credentials both at international and domestic level for Northern Districts. Hickey, a dual code overachiever, is expected to make a late entrance after the end of the Mitre 10 Cup.
But the mouth-watering anticipation is within their youth section. Jarrod Halliday, Tristan Payle, Sandeep Patel and Dion Joll are among a group of teenagers who threw away their premier water-wings some time ago and are now ready for major-league cricket.
PAPAKURA
- Jason Brajkovich (Onehunga), Ryan Strydom (returning after injury), Vaughan Blanchard (Pukekohe-Metro CC).
- Gian Botha (Wellington), Nik Vishwanath (Mt Maunganui), Luke Williamson (Karaka CC). Coach - Marty Perry (player coach). Captain - Henry Gibson.
- Henry Gibson, (capt), Ben Fitzgerald, Devon Jones, Jayden Morris, Marty Perry, Scott Johnston, Shane Gadsdon, Ryan Phizackerley, Anish Shah, Cameron Jerram, Tyler Jerram, Vaughan Blanchard, Jason Brajkovic, Ryan Strydom and Satiam Sharma.
The 2014/15 champions have a huge hole to fill. Their skipper, Gian Botha, has exported himself to Wellington for work reasons. Botha has been a talisman-like figure at the club over the last few seasons. With 677 runs from his bat, including a high of 210, he was last season’s overall top scorer in the premiership. He has left the captain’s armband with Henry Gibson.
Vaughan Blanchard, a former senior men’s representative player and very experienced cricketer, joins the Bruce Pulman Park weekenders. The young Jerram siblings, Cameron and Tyler, are both in the squad, they are youngsters to keep a watching eye on. Waiuku Players in- Trevor Greyling (South Africa), Simon King (Auckland)
Players Out - Sam Danes (medical), Sam Saunokonoko (T20), Declan McLeish (work), Ben Naylor (Auckland), Johnny Morley (retired), Scott Guthrie (retired), George Meikle (overseas) Manager/Coach - Shane Robinson Captain - Shaun Lovett Squad Shaun Lovett (capt), Bayden Morey, Rhys Foy, Barry Mills, Cameron Brown, David Shine, Haseeb Ashraf ,Jesse Smyth-Kirk, Blair Lovett, Zack Robinson, James Naylor, Trevor Greyling, Mackenzie Buchan, Chad Whitehead and Simon King.
For a surplus of reasons Waiuku has lost seven players from their last squad, this includes Johnny Morley who must hold the club record for the amount of times he’s retired. Scott Guthrie, the former CMCA Men’s Senior Captain, is also standing down. The depth of the clubs reservoir will be tested.
Although their 2015/16 season ended in an as-is-where-is condition, it did have its highlights. They beat rampant runaway champions Manukau by 48 runs in the Duthie Cup and pushed Pukekohe-Metro to the limit in their local two-day derby match.
Trevor Greyling and Simon King, both allrounders, are newcomers to the club and are unscratched lottery tickets. Shaun Lovett, in his second year as captain, now has the experience to get the best out of his cattle. Much will depend on him, and the other oldhands including Bayden Morey, David Shine and Haseeb Ashraf.
UNITED
Players In - Lee Ter Huurne (Karaka CC).
- None. - Terrence Brookes. - Josh Burgess. - Josh Burgess (capt), Jonathon Lawrence, Callum Jude, Harley Bayliss, Terrence Brookes, Anthony Brookes, Matt Mudford, Christopher Farnell, Summit Agnihotri, Simon Eves, Michael Walker, Bruce Page, Manpreet Singh, Lee Ter Huurne and Simar Bahl.
Last season’s bottom feeders had a standing start after being called in at the 12th hour. After a full turn of the calendar they are in much better shape having learned from their first season in the top drawer. As well, they have been active in the winter getting their players and their new organisation into premiership mode. Lee Ter Huurne, one of the club’s ex-students, has moved back from Karaka where he gained valuable premiership time. Ironically, both of United’s maiden moments came against Karaka. They came close to rolling the reds in the first round of Duthie Cup and then took the first innings points from them in the Shield.
United’s first Duthie Cup game in this campaign is against Manukau and will be a true test of how far they have come. Anthony Brookes, United’s top bowler, was a revelation in their debut premiership season. Brookes took 31 wickets and ended up tenth in the player rankings.