Specialist batsman role ‘an exciting opportunity’

Otago wicketkeeper-batsman Mitch Renwick. Photo: Peter McIntosh
Mitchell Renwick. Photo: ODT files
Mitchell Renwick can leave the wicketkeeping gloves behind today.

And the inners.

But the question is whether will he be able to.

Until recently, Renwick’s role in the Otago side has been defined as a wicketkeeper-batsman.

But a form slump and the rise of gloveman Max Chu has resulted in the opportunities drying up for the 28-year-old right-hander.

He has had to chip away at club cricket while he waited for another opportunity.

That has arrived in the form of a new gig.

Regular opener Camden Hawkins is injured so Renwick has been asked to open the batting in Otago’ s Plunket Shield match against Canterbury.

The game gets under way at Hagley Oval this morning.

Renwick is calling it "an exciting opportunity". But in the sometimes ruthless world of professional sport there is another name for it — a career lifeline.

"I can understand an outsider seeing it that way," Renwick said.

"I don’t feel it in that sense. For me, it is just about doing my preparation as best as I can and then, look, whatever happens on the field happens and whatever happens after that happens.

"I feel really good about my game at the moment, so I feel like I can go up there and deliver a performance. Whether that happens or not ... " he said trailing off.

With Chu seemingly entrenched as the No1 gloveman in the province, Renwick will need to reinvent himself if he is to continue with the team.

He has opened the batting during his career and at the top level for Central Districts, so it is not an alien role.

But he will come under immense pressure.

Canterbury has named a slick attack which includes Black Caps seamer Matt Henry and Daryl Mitchell, while Will Williams is the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 21 scalps at an average of 13.28.

Fraser Sheat has been impressive as well.

"They have a good attack and the wicket will probably be pretty tricky for the first couple of days," Renwick said.

"But we’ve spoken about our plans and it is just about sticking to them for as long as possible and almost trying to out bore them in a sense."

Getting dropped from a team is difficult terrain to negotiate and Renwick is not immune from frustration and disappointment.

"It is tricky. It tests you a bit.

"I guess for me a big learning this year has been to accept the decision as something you can’t control and then just ask what can you do to get back into the side.

"From there, it is just about taking it upon yourself to go and do the work which I feel like I have done.

"I’ve made some good strides over the last couple of months."

Runs are currency and he has been in good form at club level. In seven games for Carisbrook-Dunedin-Kaikorai he has scored 309 at an average of 103.

That has given him confidence heading into today’s fixture but he knows he has to shift his mindset.

As a wicketkeeper-batsman, he could get away with a useful contribution with the bat and a solid effort behind the sticks. But as a specialist batsman the expectations are higher.

If he is really going to leave the gloves behind, his batting will have stand by itself.

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