Cricket opening day wins to Celtic, Renwick

The ball dominated the bat on the opening day of the Marlborough cricket season.

To kick off the 2021-22 season a round of 40-over matches will be played prior to the start of the top of the south Tasman Premier League competition.

Yesterday, on early-season Horton Park wickets which traditionally favour bowling attacks, Celtic and Renwick picked up vital wins in low-scoring encounters.

Celtic, in a repeat of last season’s final, downed Wairau Valley by 96 runs while Renwick accounted for Wairau by two wickets.

Batting first on Horton Park No 3, Celtic battled their way to a competitive score of 144-9 from their full 40 over allocation. Leading the way were Josh Poole, who scored 24 from 26 deliveries, number six batsman Reuben Kepes, who top scored with 41 from 47. Newcomer Hayden Simpson wagged the tail with an unbeaten 16.

Valley used seven bowlers with varying levels of success. Jethro Moran 3-15 from seven overs was the most profitable, followed by Joel Pannell, who claimed 2-20 from seven.

Valley’s reply was disappointing, being dismissed for just 48 in 14.2 overs. Sam Boyce top scored with eight runs, extras providing the best return with 17.

Chief destroyer for Celtic was pace bowler Jaden Adams, who bagged 4-18 from five. Simpson chipped in with 3-6 from four while Jerrym Lamb and Tom Sutherland picked up a wicket each.

The other match, on Horton Park one, was much closer, Renwick picking up the winning runs with two wickets remaining and just three balls left to bowl.

Wairau batted first, stuttering their way through to 113 in 29 overs. Nick Weaver top scored with 38 but received little support as his fellow batsmen struggled to adapt to the pace of the wicket.

Best of the Renwick attack were Nick Wilder, with 3-23, and Akhil Pant, who grabbed 2-9.

Renwick’s reply was firmly anchored by Corey Bovey who finished unbeaten on 40. Keiran Gaudin’s 16 was the next top score.

Hunter Ruffell, 4-17, and Weaver, 2-13, were the pick of the Wairau attack, who brought their side back into contention late, after Renwick were cruising at 109-5.