New recruit Ronchi rewards Wellington with 111
Jets. AFTER the contempt he’d shown for Central Districts’ bowling, it was hard to know how new Wellington recruit Luke Ronchi would react to scoring a hundred on debut.
The 30-year-old former Australian limited overs’ wicketkeeper-batsman didn’t leave you wondering for long.
No sooner had he dispatched Steven Smidt through mid-wicket for four, than he was leaping in the air, waving his bat furiously then enveloping batting partner Grant Elliott in an almighty bear hug.
‘‘It means a lot. I don’t get many hundreds as it is, so to get one in my first innings for Wellington, who are going to be my team next year, was just an awesome feeling,’’ Ronchi said after scoring the seventh first-class hundred of his career, off just 83 balls.
‘‘This will relax me a bit more because I was quite nervous today, thinking, ‘ What will happen, am I going to get out for nought?’. So to
Luke Ronchi on his way to a whirlwind 111 in his first innings for go out there and play my game and feel comfortable meant it all worked out beautifully.’’ Did it what. Elliott ended his barren run of form with an accomplished 145 not out, to help his team to a commanding first day total of 437 for six at Karori Park.
Elliott’s runs were good reward for the hours he’s put into improving his game. He didn’t always look that fluid, but then no-one would have next to Ronchi.
The sound the ball made off Ronchi’s bat was unbelievable, as was the amount of short stuff the CD bowlers sent down at him.
Suffice to say, only fools will bother bouncing Ronchi when he joins Wellington fulltime next summer, because he pulls and hooks the ball miles, much to the enjoyment of his father, Gerry, who made the trip down to Napier to watch his Dannevirke-born, Perth-raised son bat in New Zealand for the first time.
Even though there was a goodsized crowd at Karori, Ronchi said he had no trouble making out his dad’s excited voice during his 91-ball innings of 111, which included 13 fours and four sixes.
Ronchi said Wellington’s plan today would be to rattle on a few more quick runs and ‘‘get into’’ the CD batsmen.
There’s big interest in how the Karori Park pitch will play, with Ronchi indicating it could deteriorate.
‘‘I reckon it’ll crumble up a fair bit because it’s already chewed up,’’ he said.
The odd ball misbehaved early on yesterday, after Wellington won the toss and batted, with one delivery soaring over CD keeper Dane Cleaver’s head for four byes before one soon after barely bounced at all.
The pitch was very flat and even-paced from there on, although if there is something in it, Wellington’s quicks are more likely to find it than CD’S were.
Earlier in the day, Josh Brodie’s difficult little run continued, when he was tapped leg before wicket to Kyle Jarvis with the first ball of the match.
Michael Papps and James Franklin got starts before Luke Woodcock joined Elliott at 86 for four and that pair added 155 for the fifth wicket.
When Ronchi came out at 241 for five the fun was just starting, though, and when he was bowled trying to hit Smidt all the way to Crofton Downs, the score had soared through to 412 in just 28 additional overs.
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