Coastlands in dominant form

FIFTY-OVER WINNERS: Bay of Plenty Coastlands beat Hamilton by 10 wickets to win the Alan Whimp Cup for the 50-over competition at the Northern Districts senior secondary schoolboys’ cricket tournament. Coastlands are, back (from left): manager Shaun Riley, Luke Elliffe, Dillon Preston, Jacob Logan, Taylor Bettelheim, Cameron Riley and coach Peter Swan. Front: Rhys Donaghy, Carson Wills, Marcel Collett, captain Iman Singh, Dominic Crombie and Finn Dempsey. Picture by Tai Bridgeman-Raisin

Some days, it doesn’t pay to get out of bed.

That’s how Hamilton might be feeling after suffering the heaviest loss — by 10 wickets to Bay of Plenty Coastlands — in the history of the Northern Districts senior secondary schoolboys’ 50-over cricket final.

Hamilton captain Hamish Mellow won the toss, elected to bat and his side — who had beaten Northland to win the Pat Malcon T20 Cup on Day 2 — were then bowled out for 80 in 26.1 overs at Harry Barker Reserve.

Eighteen-year-old spearhead Cameron Riley, one of two survivors from Coastlands’ two-day champions of 2016 under Blair McKenzie, tore through a hitherto well-performed batting line-up with 4-24 off 7.1 overs.

Left-arm orthodox spinner Jacob Logan, bowling first change, was also in fine form. He took 2-4 off six overs that included three maidens.

Dominic Crombie, Rhys Donaghy and Luke Elliffe took a wicket each and yesterday’s century-maker (131 not out against Counties-Manukau), Taylor Bettelheim, ran out Mellow (0) off the last ball of the seventh over at 2-27.

Hamilton opener Jacob Parker (22) hit two of his team’s four boundaries. Second-drop Kuwyn Price (13) was the only other scorer in double-figures. Two players were dismissed for seven runs and seven for less than seven.

Coastlands openers Logan (49no) and Bettelheim (19no) saw their side through to 82 without loss in 13.4 overs for victory — on Bettelheim’s cut-shot for four off medium-pacer Sukijit Singh — to win the Alan Whimp Cup.

“We put a complete performance on the park,” coach Peter Swan said of his sixth championship-winning side in 16 years.

Skipper Iman Singh (also a survivor of the 2016 team) said: “The boys were keen to get one over on Hamilton. We knew our roles, were disciplined and it was pleasing to end it with a another championship for Swanny, who’s put in so much hard work behind the scenes with us.”

Hamilton coach Brett Sorrenson — himself a Swan protégé — said: “It was tough. We struggled to gather any momentum and Coastlands were the better team on the day. Credit to their bowlers especially.”