And now a word from your President...

Cricket season is heating up

After a long off-season, the first balls of anger have been bowled for the 2015-16 season and already it is shaping up as a good one for the Renwick Cricket Club.

First of all congratulations must go to the players who brought home the spoils of victory from the South Island Masters Games in Nelson last weekend, one Renwick team winning and the other placing third. Tony McKenzie summing it up by declaring Renwick the “undisputed six-a-side champions of the world- or maybe just the South Island”.

In the junior ranks, Renwick will be entering three fifth grade teams this season, the most ever. A group of those youngsters trained on Saturday evening in Renwick, master coach Andrew Marshall teaching the prodigies some of the finer points of bowling…get ready for a new generation of cricketers intent on bowling batsmen round their legs, “Rubba style”.

The fifth grade season begins on Friday evening (I hope games finish before the Makos semi-final!)

Fourth grade will be put through their paces on Wednesday afternoon, senior coach Hayden Taylor will help them to blow out the cobwebs before the season begins on Saturday.

Third grade will be put through their paces on Wednesday evening, this group of Renwick’s stars of the future will be handled by Grant and Keri Herd and are expected to start their season Saturday week. A contingent of women will also be playing in the third grade team, keeping the lads on their toes.

Some second grade players have been taking park in pre-season training and will have the jump on their opponents when the season kicks off on Saturday. A final training is scheduled for Wednesday, before the 2014/15 40 over champs begin their title defence on Saturday.

Four of the clubs senior players had a tense start to the local season on Saturday, turning out for senior cricket’s Chairman’s XI v President’s XI match. It was returning Renwick player Jason Campbell who had the last laugh in this one, his bowling spell of 4-30 helping turn the match on its head and see the Chairman’s side win by five runs. Tight bowling spells from big Haydos Taylor and south-paw Tim Burt, along with a knock of 37 from Rikki Bovey not enough to score a President’s win, but the Renwick contingent did the club proud.

Another three of the invitational matches will take place, while Bovey and Taylor contining to train with the Marlborough rep team. And “Superstar Academy Cricket” for the littlies is not far off either.All that means it is not just the days are heating up but also the leather-on-willow action!

Mooooha.