Whanganui cricket: Whanganui celebrates Ross Kinnerley’s 50th game for province at weekend

Whanganui's Ross Kinnerley has reached the 50-game milestone. Photo / Bevan Conley

It has been delayed after Covid-19 kept him out of December’s Furlong Cup games, but pace bowler Ross Kinnerley got his black Whanganui cap at the weekend.

Riverview Motel Whanganui’s expat Englishman has been acknowledged for playing 50 matches for the association at Furlong Cup and Chapple Cup level.

The statisticians had been able to confirm at least 49 games heading into the weekend’s away match against HMC Horowhenua-Kapiti at Donnelly Park - the same opponent and ground where Kinnerley debuted in the 2008-9 summer in his second-to-last year at Whanganui High School.

“We think he’s played more. It’s only since 2014 [the stats are known]. We’ll celebrate it,” said coach Warren Marr.

Kinnerley recalls being a wide-eyed teenager being invited by then-coach Drew Morrison to train with the squad, and then joining the Whanganui XI for the Horowhenua-Kapiti match when a regular team member withdrew.

“I stepped up and played all right, but whoever was away came back and I missed the next couple of games.

“But then I was back in and I’ve never left.”

An always-active individual, Kinnerley balances his cricket alongside his work at Sport Whanganui as community activator and recreation specialist.

Having come to New Zealand as a youngster, he had a good grounding to be a competitive cricketer with some intense backyard games against his brother Fraser, also a Whanganui regular.

“It was that competitive edge to get to the next level. You can see that now with the O’Leary boys [Connor, Shaun, Hadleigh] coming through.”

Against Horowhenua-Kapiti, Kinnerley has had his most success with the ball - three of his six-wicket bags for Whanganui have been against them.

There was also a six-for against The Post Office Hotel Wairarapa and The Good Home Taranaki.

It was that latter match in January 2019 that Kinnerley regards as his biggest highlight - taking 6-39 including five wickets in just nine overs at New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park.

In a second-day fightback, Kinnerley and his fellow pace bowlers dismissed Taranaki just five runs short of Whanganui’s total of 218, setting up a stunning first-innings points victory.

“We hadn’t beaten Taranaki for a long, long time before that.

“We saw their arrogance, and we managed to come away and skittle them.”

Taranaki were humbled, and brought all the beer from their dressing room to the victors that afternoon.

The following 2019-20 season was one of Kinnerley’s best with the ball - his 17 wickets in five Furlong Cup games saw him finish second in the competition’s overall bowling standings.

This mirrored another successful season in 2016-17, where 17 wickets were enough to come fourth in the overall bowler standings, but each scalp arguably meant more as Whanganui finished third out of the six teams - their best result of the last decade.

And it is the team-first mentality, where everyone acknowledges when an individual does well, that most impresses Kinnerley about the side.

“Everyone celebrates it and has your back - it’s a pretty cool group of guys.”

As well as his brother, Kinnerley acknowledged the assistance of long-time teammate and fellow veteran Mark Fraser, who has also been supportive and good to chat with about the game.

Kinnerley’s official 50th game recognition is the second for Whanganui this season, after Chris Sharrock was acknowledged in early December against Subway Manawatū.