First class veteran Ben Smith will make his comeback to association cricket this weekend against Hawke's Bay. Photo / Bevan Conley
After three games of scrapping for player numbers, Whanganui will take potentially its strongest lineup of the season to Nelson Park this weekend to face the might of Hawke’s Bay.
Coach Warren Marr was able to pick an extended squad of 13 to prepare for the match with the return of their seasoned Central Districts professional, the availability of Whanganui Collegiate’s best players, and the arrival home of one of that school’s finest batsman.
Having previously suffered a painful groin injury that required surgery, first-class veteran Ben Smith will make his comeback to association cricket, similar to last season when he also joined in for the second-to-last match after parental leave.
The 31-year-old has averaged 31.94 for the Stags, and Marr believes their selectors are eager for him to play this match against the former Hawke Cup holders to get a fair gauge of his form.
Smith and teammate Mark Fraser jointly hold the record of most centuries for Whanganui with six each.
Also making a much-anticipated comeback will be 2021-22 debutant, Shaun O’Leary, joining his family members in Connor and Hadleigh.
The former Collegiate 1st XI captain, who became the first player in a decade at the school to score over 1000 runs in a calendar year, Shaun O’Leary made an immediate splash on debut for Whanganui last summer with a match-winning 121 not out against Horowhenua-Kapiti, sharing a 232-run stand with Fraser.
A Central Districts age grade representative, just like older brother Connor, Shaun O’Leary left before the season’s end to play in Ireland, returning to watch last weekend’s draw with Manawatū before resuming training this week with the representative side and Wanganui Vet Services Marist.
“He’s looking trim, not looking like one of those young fellas who drank too much Guinness over there,” said Marr.
“Straight in because he offers us the bat and the ball,” the coach added, as O’Leary also took six wickets for Whanganui last season.
Rejoining the team will be current Collegiate allrounder Oscar Mabin while coming with him to possibly make his debut is schoolmate Josh Allpress, son of legendary jockey Lisa Allpress.
“Oscar, it will be good for him to play in the Hawke’s Bay, because that’s where he’s from - he’s over there right now,” Marr said.
Import Liam Hall will also have a point to prove, back at Nelson Park bowling against his home province.
“Apart from Rossco [Ross Kinnerley], it will be the best XI we can get on the park,” said Marr.
Strike bowler Kinnerley is still recovering from a bout of Covid, while not required for this match from last weekend’s squad are Wellington-based Matt Simes, last-minute inclusion Angus Dinwiddie, and youngster Ryan Donaldson.
The first active representative player out of the Wanganui Renegades team, Donaldson sent down 10 overs for just 29 runs including three maidens, and Marr said captain Greg Smith has given him the thumbs up to certainly return to the side in the future.
By bringing in Ben Smith and Shaun O’Leary, while Fraser found form with the bat to score 56 and 48 against Manawatū, Marr knows Whanganui desperately needs to find runs from anywhere they can get them in the lineup.
“Broken record – we still haven’t got to 150 runs yet so we get a bonus point.”
This is never harder than against Hawke’s Bay – the only Furlong Cup team Whanganui has not scored a victory against in well over a decade.
Although the competition’s heavyweights had a stutter at the start of the season, finally losing the Hawke Cup to Canterbury Country, while also being narrowly beaten by Manawatū on first innings points, write them off at your peril.
After losing to Manawatū, Hawke’s Bay smashed Wairarapa by an innings and 134 runs - which included bowling Wairarapa out in the first innings for a near-record 29.
They followed that up with a comfortable first innings points victory last weekend against Horowhenua Kapiti, although the visiting team to Nelson Park showed good ticker with the bat to avoid being bowled out a second time for an outright loss.
“It’s harder and harder, to be honest. More good players turn up,” said Marr of the deep well of talent Hawke’s Bay draws from.
Last weekend, top-order batsmen Jonathan Whitley and William Clark scored centuries, while bowler Liam Dudding claimed seven wickets.
Play starts at 10.30am on both Saturday and Sunday.
The Whanganui team is:
Greg Smith ©, Ben Smith, Hadleigh O’Leary, Shaun O’Leary, Sam Roebuck, Mark Fraser, Carter Hobbs, Daniel Burgess, Chris Sharrock, Liam Hall, Connor O’Leary, Oscar Mabin, Josh Allpress. (One to be omitted).
Whanganui’s remaining Furlong Cup draw is:
December 10-11: vs Hawke’s Bay, Napier
January 14-15: vs Horowhenua-Kapiti, Levin.
The action picks up in Cricket Whanganui’s Combined Twenty20 fourth round, with eight games being played.
Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens will host both Wanganui Renegades and Wicket Warriors Whanganui at Centennial Park, in games that could have a big bearing on the championship picture.
Tasman Tanning (Victoria) Park will host the other matches, weather depending.
Draw for December 10, Combined Twenty20
Property Brokers Wanganui United White vs Property Brokers Wanganui United Blue
Matt Burke Engineering Marton Saracens vs Wanganui Old Boys-Tech
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.