Bay need big innings . . . but who’ll step up with bat?

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

Who's going to step up with the bat for Poverty Bay?

That's the million-dollar question that captain Cohen Loffler's Bay side have to answer heading into Day 5 of the Northern Districts Emerging Youth under-19 cricket tournament at Harry Barker Reserve.

Yesterday Poverty Bay took five Bay of Plenty Lakelands wickets for 82 runs in 17.4 overs but — having earlier been put into bat and dismissed for 80 in 37.3 overs — lost the Round 6 50-over match on HBR No.4 by eight wickets.

Bay opener Luke Fisher made their highest individual score, 17, and their biggest partnership was one of 13 runs between Fisher and captain Cohen Loffler (4) for the third wicket.

Lakelands off-spinner Ranithu Rodrigo took 5-17 from 6.3 overs and first-change speedster Andrew Friskney took 3-15 from seven. Opening bowler Cohen Stewart dropped the initial hammer-blow, a big inswinger going between the bat and pad of Fisher's opening partner Travis O'Rourke (5).

So Poverty Bay were bowled out for 80. Nathaniel Fearnley, the third pace bowler used by them in the Lakelands innings, took 2-22 from 5.3 overs before being back-cut to the third man boundary by Stewart (4 not out), seventh man to bat.

The talented Fearnley, captain of the Poverty Bay under-16s who lost all seven of their games at the tournament in Whangarei last week, has been in much better all-round form this time around. The signs are that he and other youngsters are keen to step up.

Bay coach Josiah Turner said: “Nathaniel bowled stump to stump, bowled full and got the edge of the bat a few times. The boys worked hard for the five wickets they took.”

Poverty Bay face an absorbing intellectual challenge today in the form of Bay of Plenty Coastlands' Gus Tustin, 16, who took 6-47 against Counties-Manukau.

Three of his best were giant No.5 Fraser Farrell (12), bowled around his legs playing a sweep-shot, then Louis Anderson leg-before-wicket first ball, and left-hander Oscar Taylor for a third-ball duck, off a return catch.

Even with overcast conditions prevailing today, Tustin will be a factor.

Hamilton 239-5 (Angus Henry 104, Eli Parker 65; Hemanth Akula 1-24, Lucan Wood 1-29) beat Northern Districts Invitation 237-9 (Sebastian Heath 98 not out, Logan Murray 31, Braedon Hills 22; Lucky Reddy 3-36, Christopher Seel 2-47).

Waikato Valley 188-2 (Nick Byles 41, Sanchit Chopra 39, Ryan Krige 35; Ryan d'Abo 3-38, Riley McCullum 3-19, Hunter Crowe 2-40, Max Makeham 2 wickets in 3 balls) beat Northland 186 (Hunter Crowe 75no, Riley McCullum 51no, Xavier Bell 45).

Bay of Plenty Lakelands 82-2 (Daniel Coster 27, HarryJones 17; Nathaniel Fearnley 2-22) beat Poverty Bay 80 (Luke Fisher 17, Nathaniel Fearnley 9no; Ranithu Rodrigo 5-17, Andrew Friskney 3-15).