GISBORNE Boys’ High School earned the right to play a Bay of Plenty team by beating Campion College in a First XI Cup pre-qualifying cricket game at Harry Barker Reserve this week.
Campion captain Sam Patterson, who made his debut for the Poverty Bay senior representative team this season, won
the toss and elected to bat. Campion made 95-9, opener Matt Naden making 46 off 33 balls.
The Boys’ High medium-pace attack did the damage. Vice-captain Ryan Nepe took 3-13 off four overs; Travis Mitchell, 2-6 off four; and Paul Stewart, 2-15 off four.
Four Year 9 Campion 13-year-olds — Blake Marshall, Max Briant, Liam Spring and Luke Hurlstone — were making their First XI Cup debuts. They played for last year’s Poverty Bay boys’ primary representative team and against Boys’ High they were all superb in the field.
Boys’ High chased the total down in 12.3 overs. Openers Jack Faulkner (26 from 26 balls) and Nepe (18 off 13) got them off to a good start. First drop Robert Schwass scored 21 from 19, and skipper Drew Scott made 13 not out at No.4. Fourteen-year-old Matty Hudson, a past Northern Districts boys’ primary school development squad member, took the wickets of both openers, finishing with 2-30 off four overs.
