Challenge Cup proving its value

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

The cricket could sizzle this evening.

Round 6 of the high school Challenge Cup features two exciting twenty20 matches.

Liam Spring’s Campion-Lytton crew clash with Gisborne Boys’ High School’s Blues and Royals under Sebastian Wilson on the Harry Barker Reserve practice wicket.

GBHS students Noah Torrance-Cribb and Dylan Foster — co-captains of The Admiralty — conspire to get the better of Northern Spirit opening bowler Kayley Knight and the Tairawhiti Women’s Cricket Club on HB1.

Both GBHS glovemen — Jack Whitehead-McKay (BR) and Alex Shanks (Admiralty) — have taken some sharp chances behind the stumps this season.

Whitehead-McKay understands the importance of the competition and said the Challenge Cup gave those boys who missed out on playing in the Hope Cup and Doleman Cup on Saturdays — or for whom opportunities to bat or bowl in those senior club competitions were limited — a chance to get game time and improve.

Wilson pointed to the way in which DJ Penfold, George Gillies and Cory Thomson of his Blues and Royals had grown in terms of cricket knowledge and general fielding standard as proof of the Wednesday afternoon league’s value for emerging players.

The Admiralty will be boosted by promising batsman Kelan Bryant and capable all-rounder Daniel Watts, while for the Blues and Royals, Adam Situ will share the seamers’ load with, among others, the in-form John Broad and out-swing bowler Bekko Page.

TWCC are a good side. Rubi Perano is a quality keeper and Knight will get bood back-up from Maddie Ashworth, Grace Kuil and Grace Levy.

For Campion-Lytton, Spring, Hamish Swann and Rhys Grogan have the ability to make a contribution in more than one department of the game.