Christophers ton leads OBR to victory

Game-winning century: OBR's Craig Christophers led the team to victory with a match-winning knock. He scored 106 of the team's total of 208. Picture by Paul Rickard

CRAIG Christophers still has what it takes.

He showed that with a match-winning century for OBR against Gisborne Boys' High School in DJ Barry Cup premier club cricket at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday.

Playing his first premier grade match this season, Christophers batted through his team's entire innings.

His 106 runs – compiled with power and control – made up over half of Coastal Concrete OBR's 208.

Galaxy World Gisborne Boys' High School fell 79 runs short of their target.

Boys' High bowler Bekko Page earned his first premier grade fifer (five wickets or more) after being promoted to the first 11 less than a month ago.

With eight OBR batsmen making a combined contribution of 11 runs, it was left to the opening duo of Christophers and Thom Berry (23) and tail-ender Amit Vyas (a handy 29) to make the bulk of the team's total.

GBHS were varied in their bowling attack but it was Page who dominated, taking four of the first five wickets before finishing the innings in style with the wicket of Christophers, who skied the ball to Alex Shanks at long-off.

After an innings that included pieces of individual brilliance from both sides, the game was in the balance.

The game plan looked to be working early for GBHS, who wanted to have wickets in hand going into the latter part of the innings. A 39-run opening partnership between Cohen Loffler (20) and Travis O'Rourke (15) got them off to a good start but their progress slowed as they lost wickets at a steady rate.

Captain Nathan Trowell topscored with 25 runs from No.4 but the tide was already turning.

His dismissal left the team at 91-6.

The flow of runs slowed to a trickle in the face of an OBR bowling attack in red-hot form. All six of their bowlers took wickets as they restricted GBHS to single-digit runs for 32 straight overs to close out the game despite being a man down in the field.

Ian Loffler was the best of the bunch. He had four maidens in his seven overs and took two wickets for four runs.

GBHS had a wagging tail through coach Mal Trowell (16) and Dylan Foster (13), but the OBR bowling attack had already done the damage.

The pair stemmed the flow of wickets, facing 82 deliveries, but it was largely an act of defiance as OBR had all but secured victory by that point.

OBR captain Nick Greeks, who played after previously being unavailable, said he was proud of the players who stepped up from the Hope Cup team to perform.

“Craig was outstanding with the bat and timed his innings perfectly,” Greeks said.

“His opening partnership with Thom (Berry) was a great way to get the innings going.”

Greeks said the way the team rallied as a unit with the ball was crucial.

“Sean Henry and Matt Cook kept things tight after a loose start and put the pressure on the Boys' High batters. They took two wickets at the top and George Reynolds cleaned the tail up at the end. All the bowlers did their job well.”

Trowell said while they thought 209 was a good target, they didn't value their wickets enough to win.

“We just need to form partnerships, especially through the middle overs, because that is where the game is won or lost.

“We needed wickets in hand.”