Sydney Sixer and club premiership teammate head south to chase first class cricket dreams

Long time suffering CTPL club New Town’s hopes of pushing for finals have received a massive boost with a pair of Sydney grade stars — one with BBL experience — relocating south

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NEW Town’s quest to end the longest finals drought in the CTPL will be aided by two big name recruits from NSW for the 2021-22 season.

Spinner Ben Manenti — who has played 21 matches for the Sydney Sixers in the past three Big Bash tournaments — and last year’s leading run scorer in Sydney grade cricket Anthony Mosca have both relocated to Hobart.

While the pair both harbour ambitions at the highest level, their addition to the Bucks will be a major boost as the club looks to push back into finals contention.

New Town has not featured in red-ball finals since 2003-04, last reached a grand final in 1987-88 and has not tasted success since 1969-70.

Ben Manenti and Anthony Mosca have relocated to Tassie, joining New Town for the upcoming CTPL season. Picture: Mireille Merlet

It has been a similar tale in the shorter formats with a solitary 50-over title (1971-72), while a side containing D’Arcy Short and Dan Christian ended a 44-year premiership drought in 2016-17 when the Bucks defeated Clarence in the Twenty20 decider.

“I was looking at making a move at the end of last season from Sydney, I was [tossing up] between South Australia and Tasmania,” said Manenti, who has another year remaining on his BBL contract with the Sixers.

“Having had a taste of the Big Bash I just wanted to play some state cricket and the opportunities in NSW weren’t coming up for me due to squad strength.

“Coming down here and trying to find an opportunity to play for Tasmania is the goal … [with New Town] the group of players I’ve seen so far are working hard and want to be there come finals time.”

Ben Manenti of the Sixers celebrates after dismissing Matthew Renshaw of the Strikers takes a catch to dismiss Phil Salt during the Big Bash League match between the Adelaide Strikers and the Sydney Sixers at Metricon Stadium, on January 03, 2021, in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Mosca, 29, is a top order run machine who plundered 1104 runs at an average of 69 for Sydney last summer, with three centuries and four half-centuries.

This included 124 in the semi-final and 94 in the grand final.

“At the moment I’m in the Academy side with Tassie … basically I’ll be working my backside off, hopefully score some runs in grade cricket and some opportunities arise,” Mosca said.

“I think I needed a change and I wanted to take on a new opportunity to try and progress my cricket.

“I’ve been told down here it [the ball] moves around a little bit so I want to back myself and see how I go with the ball moving around.”

Manenti and Mosca have followed in the footsteps of Nathan Ellis — who made the move south off his own back to force his way into the Tigers squad — and also joined the likes of Ed Cowan, Jackson Bird, Jordan Silk, Charlie Wakim and Tim Ward last season to switch states from NSW.

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