Renegade worth a look
Riverview Whanganui have brought back a couple of familiar faces and a fresh one they hope symbolises new pathways into representative cricket as they prepare for a big fortnight of Furlong Cup games.
Whanganui will play the heavyweights Subway Manawatū and Pay Excellence Hawke’s Bay on consecutive weekends, starting at home on Tasman Tanning (Victoria) Park tomorrow with their Palmerston North neighbours.
There have been a handful of changes to the side that lost by 57 runs to Good Home Taranaki in New Plymouth in November.
Covid-19 has unfortunately robbed the team of strike bowler Ross Kinnerley, while Taranaki import Richard Clough has finished his commitment to the side.
Fellow bowlers Harpreet Binning (work) and Oscar Mabin (school commitments) are also unavailable, although the side is bolstered by the return of former Central Districts age grade representative Connor O’Leary.
“It would be great to bring him into a four-pronged bowling attack, but we’re a bit short,” said captain Greg Smith.
“He’ll have to be the workhorse again, but he loves that.”
Therefore, needing another pace bowler, Smith and coach Warren
Marr are going a little left field, having been impressed with Wanganui Renegades’ Ryan Donaldson.
Renegades came up into a new look Premier 1 grade for the first half of this season, having no active representative players, but have been competitive and then last weekend pulled the upset against Property Brokers United.
Although Donaldson did not play that match, he had been invited to attend a couple of Whanganui sessions, and while still young and learning, Smith said they want to send a clear signal that they are trying to develop players and give them a pathway.
“This is a great thing to say to Renegades — “you’ve come up, you’ve not disgraced yourselves, and you’re producing great young players”.
“We need some bowling, and he runs in all night at training.
“We do battle [for numbers], we do
play associations that have more support and structure — got that player pool.
“It’s a massive factor, but so long as we show we’re getting somewhere.”
For a player like Donaldson, or anyone else coming from outside the regular selection locations of United, Wanganui Vet Services Marist and Whanganui Collegiate, Smith said the key is to offer them a positive and nurturing culture — no one expects miracles on debut.
“At times, from my previous experience here, we haven’t done that in the right way.”
Another good thing about fresh faces is they don’t have the “mental
scarring” of Whanganui’s previous heavy losses, and Smith just wants young players willing to play “fearless cricket”, even if it takes them a while to adjust to the higher level.
“Give that individual a bit more belief, that ‘I can do this’ attitude.”
Manawatū certainly have that as the competition’s form team, having held off the former Hawke Cup holders Hawke’s Bay by 15 runs at home to get a first innings points victory in late October.
They followed that up with another first-innings points victory away to Horowhenua-Kapiti in November, being only four wickets shy of an outright innings victory.
Batsman Mitch Renwick scored 114
in that match, while Arana NoemaBarnett, Maara Ave, Curtis Heaphy and Mason Hughes have all picked up half-centuries this campaign.
Noema-Barnett has six wickets so far, while Jack Harris and Brad Fulton have five each.
“We’re looking to replicate [their development], but you never know, we’ve pulled off first innings [wins] before,” said Smith.
“Anything can happen at Vic Park.” Also returning to the Whanganui side is batsman Matt Simes, who is playing club cricket in Wellington and missed the Taranaki game after playing in the season opener against Wairarapa.
Play starts at 10.30am on both Saturday and Sunday.
Cricket Whanganui’s Combined Twenty20 resumes action with four matches being played on the Springvale fields and one more at Victoria Park.
Wanganui Old Boys-Tech and the Hunterville Hackers take their turn at double duty, the latter playing their first matches of the competition.
Three games will start at 12.30pm, followed by the other two at 3.30pm.
Draw for December 3, Combined Twenty20
Property Brokers Wanganui United White vs Property Brokers Wanganui United Blue
Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens vs Wanganui Old BoysTech
Kaitoke Knight Riders vs Hunterville Hackers
Wanganui Vet Services Marist 2nd XI vs Wicket Warriors Whanganui Wanganui Old Boys-Tech vs Hunterville Hackers
Bye: Wanganui Renegades.