First-drop Rhys Grogan (44 off 35 balls including eight boundaries) and Y8 keeper Reuben Swanepoel (25 in 14, five boundaries) gave their skipper great support.
Spring is to be commended for his willingness and ability to unify and lead a team of promising young players in this Colts competition.
Swanepoel fearlessly hit three pull shots for four off left-arm quick Lukas Fry in a 13th over that cost 21 runs.
Out-swing bowler Bekko Page (2-18 off 3) and off-spinner George Gillies (2-44 off 4) were Boys’ High’s wicket-takers. Gillies and Wilson also shared keeper’s duties for their seven-man crew in the absence of Jack Whitehead-McKay.
Boys’ High Y9 seamer John Broad (0-26 off 4) bowled the only maiden over, the 19th over.
Both sides conceded 26 fours but no sixes. Spring bowled an over of decent off-spin only to be hit for 22 runs on the practice wicket’s small boundaries.
Wilson, whose 46-ball knock featured 20 fours, hit the last five balls of that over for four.
Aside from his blitz, however, the next highest run-scorer for GBHS was Fry (12).
Grogan (2-28 off 4) and Hamish Swann (3-26 off 3.4) used the new ball to great effect for the combined team. Swann — a committed and hard-working cricketer — deserved the king wicket of Wilson, courtesy of Sparks’ crucial catch.
Tairawhiti Women’s Cricket Club are a much better side than yesterday’s result indicates.
Captain Kayley Knight won the toss and chose to bat first against GBHS Admiralty, who then bowled TWCC out for 29 in 7.4 overs on the No.1 ground.
Knight (12 off 17 balls) opened the batting and made TWCC’s highest individual score. Six of her teammates got ducks.
Boys’ High first-change bowler Daniel Watts’ in-swing netted him four wickets for two runs in 10 balls. Skipper Noah Torrance-Cribb took 3-15 off 4.
Northern Spirit opening bowler Knight (1-8-21) had GBHS left-hander Kavidu Withanage caught by Grace Kuil for a royal duck — first ball of the innings.
He was the only Boys’ High batsman to be dismissed, as opener Gareth Langford (14) and first drop Alex Shanks (11) saw their outfit home and to victory by seven wickets in just 2.3 overs.
