Cricket: Trident High boys spear shield

Whakatane's Trident High School won the inaugural Western Bay of Plenty Senior Boys Shield when they defeated Bethlehem College in a thrilling final at Bethlehem's ground on Saturday.

Trident, who played in the inaugural WBOPCA Secondary School First XI cricket championship by invitation, bowled first after Bethlehem won the toss and elected to bat.

Bethlehem posted a 50 run partnership for the first wicket. Mitch Fairweather reached 39 before falling to a fantastic slips catch picked out by Josiah Atkinson and Tom Rutherford made 25.

While the Bethlehem middle order came and went, Bede Murray dug in to top score a determined innings of 60, with Tom Rutherford smashing a quick-fire 25 as they were dismissed for 169.

The Trident damage with the ball was done by Cameron Lee and Hamish Wilde, who took three wickets each, with the Eastern Bay side's wicket keeper Wade Maloney taking five catches behind the stumps.

While Trident looked confident chasing down the runs, they were made to work for the victory losing seven wickets on the way.

Trident's master blaster Pip Thickpenny, who finished the First XI competition as the leading run scorer, was a rock at one end and was rewarded with his side's top score of 79 not out.

Bethlehem bowlers Dylan Wadsworth (3/22) and Chase Raleigh (3/34) toiled well with the ball to trouble the victor's batsmen but Trident hung tough to win the prize with three wickets to spare.

WBOPCA Secondary School 1st XI Final:

Bethlehem College 169 (Bede Murray 60, Mitchell Fairweather 39, Tom Rutherford 25; Cameron Lee 3/22, Hamish White 3/28, Pip Thickpenny 2/42) lost to Trident High School 173/7 (Pip Thickpenny 79no; Dylan Wadsworth 3/22, Chase Raleigh 3/34).