Renegades claim maiden success
Slice of history as Premier 1 new boys claim notable scalp
The round-robin of Cricket Whanganui’s new-look Premier 1 competition has finished with all four teams having secured victories, as the Wanganui Renegades carved out a slice of history on Saturday.
In their first campaign in the top grade after multiple Premier 2 titles, Renegades had previously been competitive but unsuccessful against Wanganui Vet Services Marist and the Whanganui Collegiate1st XI.
But on the artificial wicket at the Springvale fields, and despite missing a handful of front-line players, Renegades claimed the biggest scalp of them all – beating former Premier 1 multiple champions Property Brokers United by 10 runs.
In windy conditions that helped slow up the outfield, it appeared Renegades would not have enough runs for their eager young pace bowlers to work with when they were bowled out for 137 in 30 overs.
The openers reached double figures before being dismissed as United’s veterans began to work through the top order, with Tony Tatana (21) holding firm for a while, as did Andrew Thomas (26), who was starting to work the ball around before United also caught up with him.
While they could get some runs hitting with the wind, it appeared Renegades were still going to be dismissed in double figures, until Matt Hodges made the first of his big contributions – striking 28 in 22 balls before veteran spinner Martin Pennefather (2-13) cleaned up the tail in less than two overs.
Allrounder Brendon Walker (3-19) was strong from his full nine overs, talisman spinner Tom Lance (3-45) tempted batsmen into shots that brought about their undoing, while Dwayne Maraki (2-41) got the rest.
Confident of hauling in the small target, United made alterations to their batting order, not concerned at the time with only having nine wickets available, as bowler Lovedeep Randhawa had to leave for
work commitments.
That confidence appeared wellfounded, as Daniel Burgess (41) and Sam Roebuck (19) put on a 40-run partnership in eight overs.
However, Hodges (3-36), bowling his nine overs consecutively into the wind, induced Roebuck into giving up a catch to Mandre Beukes, and suddenly Renegades had new life.
Representative players Carter Hobbs and Greg Smith came and went to catches as Renegades picked up in the field, helped by the ball slowing before the boundary.
Still rolling the dice, Renegades introduced Jack Donaldson (3-23) and Beukes (2-34) and also bowled them for nine straight overs, as Burgess shored up an end – hitting three boundaries – but found himself running through partners.
Five wickets had fallen for only 36 runs as proven match-winners Walker and Chris Sharrock lost their stumps to Hodges and Beukes.
But with Lance yet to even pad up and former representative opener
Matthew Boswell (21) going in, United were still calm at 79-6 at drinks, despite Burgess having been caught at slip.
Maraki supported Boswell until being caught out, and then reality set in for United when Lance went in and on his third delivery chipped a low full-toss from Beukes straight to the inner fieldsman.
At 95-8 and with Renegades aware no-one else was behind him, Pennefather joined Boswell, as the pair began to pull their team back from the brink with a 32-run partnership.
Having seen off Beukes and Donaldson, the batsmen now faced a returning Ryan Balsley for his remaining three overs, with potentially just part-time bowlers left available for Renegades for the final 12 overs.
Boswell and Pennefather worked the singles while the former also found the middle of the bat – hitting two boundaries and a handful of twos which would have made the rope on another day.
But finally, with the total in sight, Balsley produced a perfect yorker to Boswell to collect his stumps and with it, Renegades’ first victory in the top grade.
Across the park, there were no further fairy-tales, as the old boys still have the wood over the young guns.
Marist, with their collection of former Collegiate 1st XI players, picked up a comfortable eight-wicket win over the school’s current squad to deny them a spot in the final.
After a solid start by openers Luke Bullock (30) and Logan Brown (19), former Collegiate star Hadleigh O’Leary broke the partnership, and then representative pace bowler Ross Kinnerley (5-13) began to cut through the order.
Only Collegiate’s proven allrounder Oscar Mabin (24) was able to put up meaningful resistance, as another former old boy now with Marist in spinner Joel Clark (3-36) cleaned up the rest of the scalps – dismissing the school team for 113.
A true competitor, Mabin (2-27) did
have Marist under early pressure, collecting both openers at 30-2, but O’Leary (63 not out) came in to take a firm grip on proceedings.
Supported by Craig Thorpe (22 not out), the pair put on an 89-run partnership at a fair clip – O’Leary launching a six for the winning runs in the 22nd over.
Marist will now go with confidence into the December 17 final against United, who still made the playoff thanks to their previous win over Collegiate and points for the weatherabandoned game with Marist a fortnight ago.
In P240 games played on Saturday, the Marist v Collegiate result was reversed as the school’s 2nd XI beat Marist’s 2nd XI by 77 runs at the school grounds.
Kaitoke Knight Riders got a big boost for their season with a big 123-run win over an understrength Property Brokers United 2nd XI.
Wicket Warriors Whanganui followed up the previous round win over Wanganui Old Boys Tech with a victory over Property Brokers United 3rds at Springvale.