Cricket: Bronson Meehan feeds off Maraekakaho School's warm wishes to help NTOB retain title

Yeah baby! Veteran allrounder Bronson Meehan has a day to remember after taking a five-wicket bag and scoring an unbeaten 27 runs to spearhead NTOB to victory yesterday. Photo / Supplied

Stop. Think about it. Whether Napier Technical Old Boys had won or lost yesterday, the prudent will argue, is totally irrelevant.

The burning question is what makes them the hallmark premier men's cricket club outfit in New Zealand?

As it turned out the Innovative Electrical-sponsored Texans have achieved that status twice on the trot although, even if they had lost in the grand final of the NZCT National Club Championship in Auckland yesterday, you would still have to ask what makes the Hawke's Bay team tick.

"What makes us special is something not too many teams do so to be able to do that, firstly, you've got to have good players," said veteran Bronson Meehan after taking 5-16 off 9.3 overs, including three maidens, to help skittle St Albans for 96 runs in 34.3 overs of the limited-overs match before defying the odds to secure an emphatic five-wicket victory.

However, Meehan went on to reveal that in a photo they took during the week-long tourney they had, mingling with them, more than 30 supporters in the frame.

"That's just incredible that we have so many people following us — old boys and those who are part of the club — so everyone plays their part as well."

It was a game of undying patience and attrition - stop watching the paint dry and be prepared to lose the sheen with bat and ball.

For what it was worth, NTOB had gifted 14 to St Albans' total, including nine wides.
Meehan said the prime real estate was "different" and demanded players apply themselves.

"They [St Albans] weren't willing to do it and because we bowled so well we allowed ourselves knuckling it down and batting time," he explained.

The NTOB bowling attack was as frugal as it had been all week. Only captain Liam Rukuwai had gone for 9.33 runs an over with the new ball but the rest were below three an over. Todd Watson claimed 2-13 while veterans Stevie Smidt and Kieran Noema-Barnett took a wicket apiece.

Meehan was the epitome of frugality, going for 1.68 runs an over with the ball at second change, and eking out an unbeaten 27 runs from 72 deliveries as the No 4 batsman, top scoring for the two-time champions.

"It was just about being a mongrel and hanging in there for the team," said the 29-year-old Maraekakaho School teacher, whose charges have high expectations of him because he coaches the Years 7-8 mixed-gender cricket team.

A laughing Meehan said he loved his occupation and couldn't wait to return to school to celebrate the accolades with the people he had missed.

"They were supporting me all week so I was receiving emails from the staff at Maraekakaho School as well," he said. "When you're part of a rural community school they really back you so that's been really special for me this week."

In keeping with tradition, Meehan has been the go-to man when the Texans put out an SOS and he had delivered again, albeit arriving a game late due to work commitments last week.

Ironically it was his first crown after he was unavailable to travel last year because of work.

He saluted school principal Phil Jones for granting him unpaid leave to be part of the memorable experience.

Happiness is NTOB player/coach Jesse Ryder (right) spraying champagne on his gallant men after they regained their national club crown in Auckland yesterday. Photo / Supplied

Conversely, no St Albans batsmen had got to the 20-run mark — openers Dan Sharples and Greg Dawson managed 18 and 19, respectively.

Only four of them got into double figures, which spoke volumes of what economy of scale the wicket demanded and how NTOB were going to react to the market when it was their turn to ask for middle and leg.

It seemed Rukuwai and his red army, who had stuck to the mantra of bowling first had they had won the toss, had curbed any overwhelming desire to throw their willows recklessly in trying to reel in a total that would have been a stroll in the park any other day.

With the persistent rain abandoning the match against Green Island (Otago) and the other two fixtures on Saturday, the weather gods had issued a resounding thumbs up for play but had temperamentally drawn a line in the sand yesterday.

The Texans took heed. They went to lunch at 39/2 after 14 overs, requiring 58 runs from 36 overs with opener Matt Edmondson taking a red-ball stance of 13 runs from 39 balls and Meehan yet to score.

Nevertheless, Meehan and Watson (five not out) got the Texans over the line with 97/5 from 34.1 overs.

It was a day when the humble single was the going currency. The entire match yielded only 16 boundaries and two sixes.

"It was an absolute credit to the groundsmen that we played so we were just delayed by 20 minutes because [on Saturday] it just rained the whole day," he said, emphasising just because the covers were on didn't mean it was doing much for the seamers, so putting the ball in the right areas was vital for bowlers as batsmen had to grind it out.

NTOB allrounder Bronson Meehan frees up his arms here for a swipe down leg side but boundaries and sixes were few and far apart in the grand final. Photo / Supplied