Photo/File
The Active Physio Wanganui team had opportunity in their hands but the all-too familiar batting collapses left them 110 runs short in their opening Hawke Cup game in Napier yesterday afternoon.
Having an unfamiliar line-up after a series of withdrawals, including Marton's Dan Ford coming in at short notice for Fraser Kinnerley after he had only had the stitches out of his damaged lip on Thursday, it appeared Wanganui would not offer Hawkes Bay much as they won the toss yet opened the bowling with Premier 2 club bowlers Ryan Slight and Ryan Balsley.
Yet the young Renegade Slight caught everyone by surprise at Nelson Park as he took out the entire top order, who had also been knocked over in a team collapse of 58 in a one-day match against Poverty Bay the previous weekend.
From 34-4, it was more than coach Rod Bannister could have asked from the young men.
"They showed no fear and just tucked into their work.
"[Slight] has probably never bowled more than eight overs [in a spell] in his life.
"He had a huge effort."
However, unlike against Poverty Bay, Hawkes Bay could now call on their player/coach Matthew Sinclair, and the former test double-century scoring Black Cap carried his lower order while scoring 124 from 151 balls, including 17 boundaries and three sixes.
In the cross winds on a green pitch, Bannister said there was a lot of playing and missing but after a good start the Wanganui bowlers struggled for line.
The pressure to take wickets meant they would serve up at least one dolly every over and Sinclair especially took advantage.
"He played and missed as much as anyone. [But] he just showed his experience," said Bannister. "We're not understanding how to close an innings out."
Dismissing the home team for 285, Wanganui lost openers John McIlraith and Max Carroll early to the right-arm pace of Liam Rukuwai, before their two most reliable batsmen, captain Henry Collier (33) and veteran Mark Fraser (36), steadied the ship nearing the end of the day's play.
But it only got worse on Sunday morning, as in both innings only Collier and Fraser made any inroads, getting 43 and 27 at their second turn at bat, as the rest of the Wanganui team had floundered to be sitting 134 runs short with only two wickets in hand by 4.15pm.
Ford and Sam O'Leary put a little wag in the tail but Rukuwai had them both in consecutive balls to wrap up the match with a nine-wicket haul, including two stumpings.
Jayden Wiggins had been the other chief destroyer with a four-wicket bag in the second innings.
In between Wanganui's two capitulations, Hawkes Bay ran up a quick second innings score and this time they did not even need Sinclair, as Graeme Tryon hit seven boundaries and a six to contribute 54 of their 100-3 declared.
Wanganui again lacked a batsman capable of an anchor role as only five of them reached double figures and only three of those did it twice.
There was some good news as Slight was approached by the Central Districts management to attending a training group camp on November 25.
Bannister said the team was again disappointed they could not bat 50 overs in an innings. There's just a few people that need to take some responsibility. Every time Hawkes Bay needed a wicket, we gave them one.
"We're losing key moments and not winning battles."
Bannister hopes to have the likes of Trent Hemi, Todd Inness, and Ross and Fraser Kinnerley available for selection for the next Hawke Cup match in a fortnight.