CRAIG CHRISTOPHERS BRONCOS CAPTAIN
POVERTY Bay lost their opening game in the Basil McBurney Trophy cricket competition to Hamilton B by 42 runs at Harry Barker Reserve yesterday.
Hamilton set a target of 248-8 on the back of a fourth-wicket partnership of 152 from Mike Dodunski (131) and Callum Hill (65).
The Bay, who were without their leading batsman Thomas Hayes, were restricted to 206-8 off the 50 overs.
The Bay have dropped to the Northern Districts B division as coach Lance Cairns and selectors Ryan Majstrovic and Ian Loffler look to continue their rebuilding programme, putting the emphasis on youth, with a few older heads.
And while his side were beaten, Bay skipper Andrew Gibbs gave them a pass mark.
“There is a gap between club cricket and rep cricket, and for the young lads — some still at school — it’s all about learning,” Rotorua-based Gibbs said.
“When Lance asked me to help out, I jumped at the chance. I’ve always had an affinity with Poverty Bay, having spent several summers working here. If Lance thinks I can help, I take that as a compliment.
“OK, we leaked a few too many runs in the field, but we bowled to good areas and didn’t concede many extras.”
The Bay got off to a bad start when Scott Tallott was dismissed for four with 19 runs on the board. Baxter Mackay followed 11 runs later and was joined in the pavilion by Jak Rowe as the Bay slumped to 34-3.
“Losing early wickets with not many runs on the board meant the pressure was on us,” Gibbs said.
“Scoring 10 runs an over in this type of cricket on big grounds like Harry Barker Reserve is not that difficult if you are talking about a team of experienced players, but that’s not the case with our side at present.”
Craig Christophers and former Gisborne player Ben Musgrave, now a Bay of Plenty cricketer, gave the home side a fighting chance with a brilliant partnership of 88 runs before Christophers was dismissed for 42 runs.
Musgrave and Dane Thompson added 24 runs before Thompson was out, and when Musgrave was caught by Ryan Smith off the bowling of Kuwyn Price for 59, the game was all but over.
Gibbs had a quick cameo, which included the only six of the game, before being bowled by Cooper Rowell for 19.
That brought Paul Stewart, of Gisborne Boys’ High School, and Sam Patterson, in his first year out of Campion College, together at the wicket. They showed a lot of maturity and courage against some “seriously quick bowlers” to finish unbeaten on 10 and 8.
“There are some good young players in this district, including these two, who certainly stepped up,” Gibbs said.
Poverty Bay 206-8 (B Musgrave 50, C Christophers 42, P Stewart 10no, S Patterson 8no; J Chahal 3-13, R Smith 2-46) lost to Hamilton B 248-8 (M Dodunski 131, C Hill 65; D Thompson 3-36, A Gibbs 2-39, C Tupaea 2-34).