Former Bashley (Rydal) cricketers LUKE Ronchi marked his Test debut with a quickfire 88 as New Zealand fought back on the first day at Headingley after James Anderson became the first England bowler to take 400 Test wickets.
New Zealand, after being sent into bat by England captain Alastair Cook following a washed-out morning session, slumped to 2-2.
But a sixth-wicket stand of 120 between opener Tom Latham, dropped four times on his way to 84, and the dashing Ronchi helped New Zealand recover to 8-297 at stumps. They were eventually 350 all out.
Ronchi went in at 5-144. The 34-year-old, brought in because BJ Watling’s knee injury prevented him keeping wicket, showed few nerves as he raced to fifty off just 37 balls, including eight fours and two sixes. His 70-ball knock, including 13 fours and three sixes, ended when Broad, from around the wicket, had him hooking straight to Anderson at fine leg.
But the former Aussie ODI international enjoyed the knock.
“To make (nearly) 300 on day one in 65 overs is a pretty good effort, especially after being two for two,” he said.
“For me I’m 34, playing my first Test, just trying to enjoy it as much as I could and enjoy the ride.”
At the start of the 1999 Southern League season, a skinny teenage cricketer from Western Australia pitched up at Bashley-Rydal’s ground in the heart of the New Forest.
A week or so later, that same fresh faced 18-year old plundered 130 off the Old Tauntonians & Romsey attack, an innings which included three huge sixes and nine fours.
Luke Ronchi had signalled his arrival on the local scene – and he’s hardly looked back since.
Those 16 years on, Ronchi has been capped by Australia in ODI and twenty20 internationals, besides a welter of state and provincial matches.
Yesterday, having returned New Zealand the land of his birth in 1981, he helped the Black Caps rally against England at Headingly.
Ronchi’s emergence on the international stage comes as no surprise to Neil Taylor, his Bashley (Rydal) team-mate in those formative years.
“I’d like to take some credit for Luke’s career,” says Taylor with a wide grin.
“I told him to stop playing so many shots, be more patient and learn to build an innings.
“He took no notice whatsoever and carried on smashing attack after attack.”
It became immediately obvious to Taylor and Bashley in Luke Ronchi someone special had arrived from Perth cricket club.
“He was a phenomenal talent,” Taylor recalled.
“He was only a little guy, but my goodness did he did the ball.
“He played shots the rest of us could only dream about. One speciality was his back-foot cover drives which simply flew out of the ground.”
Ronchi played three seasons of Southern Electric Premier League cricket with Bashley (Rydal), rattling up six centuries, 16 half-centuries and 34 shy of 2,000 runs.
He was also Man of the Match in the Southern Electric twenty20 Cup final against Liphook & Ripsley at Northlands Road.
Ronchi certainly enjoyed his time at Bashley, peppering the nearby garden centre and Bashley’s football ground with sixes.
“I’m not sure how many sixes he hit in those three years, but we must have lost loads of cricket balls – and dented a few passing cars,” Taylor chuckled.
New Zealand, after being sent into bat by England captain Alastair Cook following a washed-out morning session, slumped to 2-2.
But a sixth-wicket stand of 120 between opener Tom Latham, dropped four times on his way to 84, and the dashing Ronchi helped New Zealand recover to 8-297 at stumps. They were eventually 350 all out.
Ronchi went in at 5-144. The 34-year-old, brought in because BJ Watling’s knee injury prevented him keeping wicket, showed few nerves as he raced to fifty off just 37 balls, including eight fours and two sixes. His 70-ball knock, including 13 fours and three sixes, ended when Broad, from around the wicket, had him hooking straight to Anderson at fine leg.
But the former Aussie ODI international enjoyed the knock.
“To make (nearly) 300 on day one in 65 overs is a pretty good effort, especially after being two for two,” he said.
“For me I’m 34, playing my first Test, just trying to enjoy it as much as I could and enjoy the ride.”
At the start of the 1999 Southern League season, a skinny teenage cricketer from Western Australia pitched up at Bashley-Rydal’s ground in the heart of the New Forest.
A week or so later, that same fresh faced 18-year old plundered 130 off the Old Tauntonians & Romsey attack, an innings which included three huge sixes and nine fours.
Luke Ronchi had signalled his arrival on the local scene – and he’s hardly looked back since.
Those 16 years on, Ronchi has been capped by Australia in ODI and twenty20 internationals, besides a welter of state and provincial matches.
Yesterday, having returned New Zealand the land of his birth in 1981, he helped the Black Caps rally against England at Headingly.
Ronchi’s emergence on the international stage comes as no surprise to Neil Taylor, his Bashley (Rydal) team-mate in those formative years.
“I’d like to take some credit for Luke’s career,” says Taylor with a wide grin.
“I told him to stop playing so many shots, be more patient and learn to build an innings.
“He took no notice whatsoever and carried on smashing attack after attack.”
It became immediately obvious to Taylor and Bashley in Luke Ronchi someone special had arrived from Perth cricket club.
“He was a phenomenal talent,” Taylor recalled.
“He was only a little guy, but my goodness did he did the ball.
“He played shots the rest of us could only dream about. One speciality was his back-foot cover drives which simply flew out of the ground.”
Ronchi played three seasons of Southern Electric Premier League cricket with Bashley (Rydal), rattling up six centuries, 16 half-centuries and 34 shy of 2,000 runs.
He was also Man of the Match in the Southern Electric twenty20 Cup final against Liphook & Ripsley at Northlands Road.
Ronchi certainly enjoyed his time at Bashley, peppering the nearby garden centre and Bashley’s football ground with sixes.
“I’m not sure how many sixes he hit in those three years, but we must have lost loads of cricket balls – and dented a few passing cars,” Taylor chuckled.
