B16 SPORT Wednesday, March27, 2013 THE PRESS, Christchurch CRICKET Hira back but Anchor batsman lifts stumps on career Robbie Frew has closed a long Cup level, with his unbeaten innings of playing cricket, 225 against Nelson at Trafal- with Canterbury Country in gar Park, in 2006, the then particular. district association record. After 24 years playing He was also part of two consistently at representative successful Hawke Cup chal- Fulton and level, Frew has decided to lenges against Mid-Canter- leave player ranks, although bury (2005) and Taranaki he will probably remain (2008) which he listed as involved in some coaching career highlights, but they capacity, a role he has held were followed by the down- with Country for nine of the side of losing the cup after just Brownlie rest past 10 years. one defence to strong North ‘‘I’ve done my dash as a Island challengers. player. This is it and it feels ‘‘There are some pretty Matt Richens AT A GLANCE right now,’’ said Frew. good sides around up north With two young cricket- and it’s hard to hang on to.’’ Brad Cachopa’s out but playing proteges, Jesse, 11 and Playing the longer version ■ Canterbury: Andrew Ellis Ronnie Hira is welcomed back Jordan, 9, taking up more of the game at Hawke Cup (c), Hamish Bennett, Matt with open arms and is likely time, Frew is bidding farewell level, which includes two-day Henry, Ronnie Hira, Tom to play for Canterbury in to spend more time watching weekend zone qualifying Latham, Cole McConchie, today’s domestic cricket semi- their development with his matches against Nelson, Marl- Ryan McCone, Henry final against Wellington. wife, former White Fern Lisa borough, West Coast and Nicholls, Rob Nicol, Logan The winner of the 50-over Astle. Buller was one of the attrac- van Beek, Shanan Stewart, match, at Hagley Oval from He departs after compiling tions for Frew in heading George Worker. 11am, will meet Auckland in outstanding records with both back out to the country. ■ Wellington: James Franklin Sunday’s final. the Riccarton premier side he When Frew started playing (c), Harry Boam, Grant Cachopa’s battled a represented for 14 seasons and premier for Riccarton at 18 it Elliott, Tipene Friday, Mark shoulder injury and was Country, for whom he was alongside current Canter- Gillespie, Scott Kuggeleijn, booked for surgery in two appeared for the next 10. bury coach Gary Stead’s Andy McKay, Stephen months. But a spot came up For Canterbury Frew father David and other experi- Murdoch, Michael Papps, yesterday and Cachopa and made 35 appearances from enced campaigners like for- Jeetan Patel, Luke Ronchi, Canterbury coach Gary Stead 1995-96 to 2002-03 and scored mer Canterbury and New Jesse Ryder, Luke decided it was best the 1809 runs at a shade under 30. Zealand coach Denis Aberhart Woodcock. 24-year-old wicketkeeper- Returns: Ronnie Hira has been Always a determined bats- and Tim Murdoch. He made ■ TAB: Wellington $1.80, batsman take it to be right for welcomed back into the Wizards man who never sold his 100 one-day appearances for Canterbury $1.95. next season. fold and is likely to play today. wicket cheaply, Frew posted Riccarton and played 98 two- Tom Latham will take the three centuries and 10 half day matches. gloves while Rob Nicol is the be available for Sunday’s final losses, especially all three to centuries. He also played 10 When his Canterbury obvious candidate to open should his side win today. Auckland, individuals have one-day matches for the career finished he decided to alongside George Worker. It’s been a bizarre season taken the game away from province. move back out to Darfield in Hira was left out of the for Canterbury. Almost the them, and Stead said that too A Canterbury career high- 2003-04, where his playing Wizards’ squad for their entire squad have contributed was something that had been light for Frew was playing days began and where he 128-run loss to Auckland on at one time or another and of talked about. against the touring England works as a civil engineer. Sunday for a combination of their nine matches in the one- It needs to be; with Michael team on Hagley Oval when he ‘‘That was at the time form and attitude reasons. day competition, seven have Papps in the form of his life made knocks of 44 and 72 Country was coming to play The standdown is now over been strong performances. and Wellington’s destructive opening against an England in the one-day competition in and The Press understands But two have been awful. duo of Luke Ronchi and Jesse attack that touted a test- town and there was also the the Black Cap’s experience One of those was the loss Ryder able to tear a game strength bowling attack of Hawke Cup. To me it seemed means he is likely to play on Sunday when Colin Munro apart, Canterbury can’t afford Andrew Caddick, Andrew like having the best of both today while either Logan van singlehandedly took the game to let the match slip away Flintoff, Matthew Hoggard, worlds moving from the Beek or Cole McConchie will away from them; the other early. Craig White and Ashley Giles. 50-over games to the two-day probably carry the drinks. was the last time they played ‘‘We have plans to all of ‘‘I think I bored them to stuff.’’ ‘‘The Ronnie thing was an Wellington, also at Hagley. their players, it’s just about tears but I found out a few Frew also made 69 one-day internal issue and it’s sorted Wellington chased down executing them well,’’ Stead things about my own game . appearances with 1589 runs at now and he has the full Canterbury’s poor 143 for the said. against players of that qual- 27 and Country twice made support of the team,’’ Stead loss of just three wickets. Wellington have named the ity,’’ Frew dryly recalled. the championship finals (2008 said. In that match, the Canter- same 12 that thumped North- With Country, Frew fin- and last season) but were There was no chance the bury batsmen attacked before ern Districts in the capital on ished as the third-highest run- beaten in both. Wizards’ New Zealand duo they’d got used to the con- Sunday – and that beat getter for the team with 3803 Country chief executive Peter Fulton and Dean Brown- ditions. Stern words were said Canterbury two weeks ago – runs from 71 matches at an Peter Devlin said Frew had lie would make a mercy dash after that loss and there’s though do welcome back average of 57.62. He had the been the batting mainstay for back this morning to play, unlikely to be a repeat today. quick bowler Andy McKay Flashback: Robbie Frew batting against England pace bowler Andrew Flintoff in Canterbury’s 125th distinction of scoring two the past decade and he would Stead said, though both would In Canterbury’s other from injury to their 13. anniversary match at Hagley Oval in 2002. Photo: DON SCOTT/FAIRFAX NZ double centuries at Hawke be sorely missed. Two-metre-Peter stands tall with heroic show of unsexy self-denial h yes, the tribulations a bit panicky at 4-1 in the knock. Fulton frustrated of struggling England Mark second innings of this final England. He had Jimmy Owas life-affirming Reason test and he all but ran Fulton Anderson kicking the turf and stuff. out. But that was so notable Stuart Broad glaring at the But it wasn’t the assault, it because it was the exception world. He was a master of self- wasn’t the savage six-hitting to the recent rule. restraint, something that has on the penultimate afternoon Against England in this sometimes been shockingly that marked the final test series New Zealand have lacking in this England side. match. averaged over 50 for the first Glenn Turner, New It was the first morning said: ‘‘Test matches are won wicket and the openers have Zealand’s greatest opener, plod, the self-denial of Peter by long innings, not brief, twice put their side in calls Fulton ‘‘a tough bugger’’. Fulton, the ability to leave hard-hitting ones, however potentially winning positions. He also noticed that the well alone, all the things that spectacular they may seem . They put on 158 in Dunedin, a opener seemed to have cured aren’t very sexy in modern if I bat for a day and a half and start from which New Zealand the fault of planting his front society. make a big score, that is half went on to boss the match. foot and playing around it. Fulton’s stoicism seems to the battle.’’ In Auckland, Fulton and Against England it all came come from an old-fashioned Boycott used to talk of Rutherford put on only 79 but together, although a little long place, where men grunted, feeling physically sick when it was a hugely significant term faith might have brought threw their socks in a corner he was out. partnership. They achieved much greater rewards earlier to freshen up and then went The only New Zealander the first objective after in Fulton’s career. out and won a couple of who has looked physically England had won the toss by When asked what he Victoria Crosses. sick in recent times is Kane seeing off the new ball. regarded as the fundamentals Two-metre-Peter was once Williamson, as yet again he It was a shame when of opening, Turner came up thought by some to be a future strode out to the middle with Rutherford got out just before with some first principles that Kiwi captain but apparently next to nothing on the lunch to a silly shot but he any young, aspiring Kiwi he didn’t measure up, didn’t scoreboard and exposed to a had helped build the base that batsman might pin on his have the social patter, he rampant new ball attack.