Luke Ronchi: The Late-Blooming Star Of New Zealand Cricket

Luke Ronchi is also the only batsman to have scored a 150 in an ODI innings when batting at position of number 7 or lower. 

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Luke Ronchi is the only cricketer to have played for both Australia and  New Zealand in the history of cricket. Ronchi was particularly renowned for his aggressive batting style, more so in limited-overs formats.

Traversing Two Countries 

Born in Dannevirke in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand, Ronchi emigrated to Perth in Western Australia with his family at an early age, where he began his cricketing journey. 

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He made his debut for Western Australia in January 2002 and went on to play for Australia A. He made his debut for the Australia senior team in 2008 with an ODI match against West Indies. 

The wicket-keeper batsman announced his intention to return to New Zealand in February 2012 with an aim to qualify for the national team. He then signed with Wellington in March 2012 and made his Plunket Shield debut on March 18, against Central Districts scoring a 111 on debut for the team.

At the age of 30, Ronchi was selected by the New Zealand cricket board as part of the limited-overs squad for the New Zealand tour of England in May 2013. He made his debut for the Kiwis on 31 May 2013 at Lord’s scoring a duck and taking three catches.

Luke Ronchi: The Late-Blooming Star Of New Zealand Cricket

Luke Ronchi- The Dasher 

Ronchi’s explosive batting style, paired with his ability to hit maximums, made him a fierceful batter for opponent bowlers.  The powerful hitter holds the world record for the fastest fifty in T20 International cricket, a feat which he achieved in just 16 balls.

In January 2015, the Kiwi hit an unbeaten 170 off 99 balls against Sri Lanka at University Oval in Dunedin. This became the highest by a batsman batting seventh or lower in ODIs, and also the third-highest score by a wicket-keeper, behind India’s MS Dhoni’s unbeateb 183 and Australia’s Adam Gilchrist’s 172. 

Luke Ronchi is also the only batsman to have scored a 150 in an ODI innings when batting at position of number 7 or lower. 

International Cricket Journey 

Ronchi amassed 1397 runs in his ODI career in 85 matches averaging at 23.67 with a remarkable strike rate of 114.50. He made a highest individual score of 170 not-out. His ODI career comprises one century and four half-centuries. 

Luke Ronchi: The Late-Blooming Star Of New Zealand Cricket

The batter did not play much Test cricket. He featured in just four red-ball games, scoring 319 runs in eight innings at an average of 39.87 with a strike rate of 73.84.

Also Read: Martin Crowe: Lesser-Known Facts About New Zealand’s Batting Maestro

Ronchi went on to play 33 T20 International matches in his cricketing career, scoring 359 runs at an average of 17.95 and a strike rate of 140.23. He smashed one fifty in his T20I campaign. 

Luke Ronchi played a significant role in the rise of  New Zealand’s as a competitive force in international cricket. His performances in major cricket tournaments helped the Black Caps claim  notable success. Despite the delay in bursting into the international scene, Ronchi left an impact in New Zealand cricket history.