Txt msg helps Rathkeale win

A text from former New Zealand pace bowler Brendon Bracewell played a big part in the 11-run win secured by Rathkeale College in their combined McBride-Peterson trophy and Bidwell Cup senior men's cricket match played at Queen Elizabeth Park oval in Masterton over the weekend.
Bracewell's son, Doug, is a key member of the Rathkeale attack but intentions were to rest him from the bowling crease for this particular game because of a sore back.
But with Wairarapa College at 175-5 in their second innings and needing just 201 for victory, Rathkeale coach Dick Kendall received the text from Brendon Bracewell to say that Doug could be given a few overs if Kendall thought it would help the cause.
And so Kendall asked Bracewell to warm up with the idea of having him bowl from a reduced run-up.
It was a move which proved crucial to the end result with Bracewell still extracting considerable pace from just a few paces and taking 3-11 from four overs to set up his team's win.
Kendall admits he would not have bowled Bracewell, a Central Districts under-17 representative this season, but for his father's text
"He's a very promising player and I wouldn't have taken it on myself to risk him," he said. "But we had basically exhausted all bowling possibilities so after hearing from Brendon we gave him a go."
Another Rathkeale player to grab the limelight was all-rounder Dean van Deventer who was 53 not out in his team's second innings of 185 after they had led by just seven runs on the first innings.
He was also to the fore in Wairarapa College's second "dig", finishing with 5-76 in an innings dominated by the efforts of Robbie Anderson who was 62, and Joel Macklin, who made 30.
Their loss was a double blow for Wairarapa College as it also allowed Red Star-outright winners over Lansdowne- to head them on the Bidwell Cup competition table, meaning Stars will now play Greytown in the Cup final.
Greytown, for their part, took the honours in their Bidwell Cup match with Academy over the weekend with the highlight being a blazing century from all-rounder Seth Rance, with gave his side a first innings lead.
Meanwhile, the Wairarapa senior men's cricket team to play the last of their Hawke Cup elimination games for this season against Marlborough in Blenheim this coming weekend was named yesterday.
The only new face in the side which beat Horowhenua-Kapiti at their latest appearance is Wairarapa College all-rounder Joel Macklin.
The full squad is: Joe Hull, Ewan Burt, Simon Clinton-Baker, Jeremy Anderson, Joel Macklin, Sam Curtis (captain), Daniel Stonely, Chris Jefferies, Paul Lyttle, Seth Rance, Brock Price and Adam Bennett.