60 not-out for the GBHS Blues and Royals

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Kelan Bryant hits the ball cleanly.

And he followed up his 54 from No3 for the Gisborne Boys' High School second 11 in the Hope Cup with 60 not-out for the GBHS Blues and Royals at Nelson Park on Wednesday. That 60 for the pre-Christmas champions of the junior high school Challenge Cup was a typical Bryant knock: he finds the boundary easily and without fuss. His captain Lukas Fry had earlier won the coin-toss and chosen to bowl, the GBHS Admiralty then being dismissed for 92 off the last ball of the nine-a-side T20 contest. Bekko Page, skipper of the Admiralty, top-scored in the first innings with 31 at first-drop. Ever since his fighting effort at No11 in the second pre-season game against Geyser City Cricket Club — he batted for an hour — Page has shown real determination at the wicket.

Blues and Royals seamer Dylan Worsnop was the pick of their bowlers with 3-29 from four overs. He took three scalps worth having, those of the technician and opener Nathaniel Fearnley (17), thumping first-drop Gareth Langford (11) and mercurial left-hander Kavindu Withanage (five runs).

Out came Briant, who hit 11 boundaries in his 41 ball-stay, while cunning left-arm spinner Riker Rolls (1-11 from eight balls) took the only wicket to fall.

The Blues and Royals won the final by five wickets.

“Having Kelan's more than a help: really, he won the game for us,” said Fry. “This competition's been worthwhile. It's given our good young players such as Akira and Keanu Makiri more time to understand small details in the field, and Riker for instance now attacks the ball and gets it in quickly.”

The Tairawhiti Women's Cricket Club beat a spirited Campion College with 16 balls to spare.

Northern Brave Kayley Knight, as captain of the TWCC, won the toss and opted to bowl in the 3-4 play-off. Opener Connor Starck (19) and No5 Gagandeep Singh (15 not-out) led the college's scorers while Grace Levy continued her excellent bowling form for Horouta the previous Saturday with 2-17. Knight's new-ball partner Jess Hayward took 2-15.

Levy saw the ladies home with 15 not-out, Knight (42) making the biggest individual score before she fell to an amazing catch at point by Ramandeep Singh off the bowling of Aiden Armstrong.

Starck (2-8) and Izahn Duckworth (2-6) were the pick of Campion's bowlers: the TWCC reached 102-5 in 17.2 overs.