Craven chasing those runs

ON THE ATTACK: Derek Craven needs two runs to post 1000 for Pirates when the Buccaneers play High School Old Boys in the first of four nine-a-side games at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday, October 24.

DEREK Craven couldn’t turn down the chance to score the two runs he needs to post 1000 for Pirates. When stand-in skipper Brad Reynolds rang Craven to ask if he was available for tomorrow’s opening Nines cricket game against Tamarind High School Old Boys, there was always going to be only one reponse.

The ANZ Bank Gisborne branch manager last played for Pirates in their 2011 first division Hope Cup final win against Gisborne Boys’ High School (2) — he picked up three wickets for 22 runs as Pirates cruised to an eight-wicket win.

“Actually I hadn’t thought about those runs when I got the call but it would be good to get them tomorrow; it means I wouldn’t have to play again,” the 54-year-old said, as he roared with laughter. “There was talk of me playing last year but the problem was, as I said, I might not get the runs and then I’d have to keep on playing. The main reason I agreed to play tomorrow was to help the guys out . . . once a Pirate, always a Pirate.”

Craven joined Pirates in 1996 when he came here from Palmerston North. “I played a few seasons then shifted away before coming back in 2005.”

Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates club captain Wynsley Wrigley said: “He always said he would come back one day to get those two runs but I wasn’t expecting it to be this weekend. When Brad told me he was going to ring Derek, I said, ‘You’ll never get him to play at Labour Weekend’. I left the fishing club and about four minutes later Brad texted me to say Derek had agreed to help out.”

The Nines tournament — nine players a side, 10 overs for each team — starts at Harry Barker Reserve at 11am. With Mitchell Turner unavailable for this game, Reynolds will lead the defending Doleman Cup and DJ Barry Cup champions.

Wrigley said it was “situation normal” — they would lack a bit of firepower until their university students (brothers Tom and Ritchie Needham and Dane Thompson) came home.

“We’ll treat tomorrow’s Nines as an extra-long nets session, looking to give as many players as possible an opportunity to bat. The only new player is Tayla Hollis. Tayla will play fulltime when she is not playing for Northern Districts or Poverty Bay.”

Wrigley said Richie Needham had reported from Victoria University that his “air batting” was looking good and he felt in good nick. “The team are looking forward to Richie putting his theory to the test.”

With regular HSOB skipper Tyler Phelps not due back from Auckland University until next month, Ajay Kumar will be in charge. Club captain Ryan Majstrovic is awaiting the arrival of his first child so his priorities lie there. Majstrovic said HSOB had lost a lot of players from last year and, until the university students returned, they would have almost a completely new side.

“Ollie Needham is focusing on his family and Glen Udall is concentrating on his job (as Gisborne Intermediate principal). Brent Cryer and Francois Venter are overseas and Dogar Puria is playing for Horouta.”

HSOB will have Mike Francis, who is coming out of retirement to help out, Kyle-Jean Louis, Aman Kamboj and Jagroop Singh. “We’ve got a new opening batsman in Baljeet Singh,” Majstrovic said. “Jamie Baty is returning from Palmerston North and will keep wicket, and Ethan Aberahama comes into the squad as an all-rounder. We’re hoping we’ll have a squad to select from, as opposed to a team to put together, from mid-November before we add some school-leavers after Christmas. Tom Purcell and Poverty Bay rep Danielle Craill will help us out until then.”

Horouta v CampionBryan Forde will again lead Horouta — complete with a new playing strip — against Campion College. Tere Te Moananui is vice-captain and Marty Brandso is also part of the leadership group.

“We lost a few players from last year,” Horouta opener Greg Taylor said. “Raman Deep is leaving for Auckland and Dallas Joseph is awaiting surgery. Renata Reedy and Norm Gowers are not playing this season. We’ve got some new players — Dogar Puria (from HSOB), Sukhi Karpania (from Ngatapa), Amit Vyas, Kieran Blair (from Gisborne Boys’ High School), Warren Milligan, Francis Gray and a former Poverty Bay age-group rep, Keegan Martin.”

Taylor said Clarence Campbell, Billy Morse, Greg Taylor, Jason Brooks and Phoebe Taylor would provide the core from last season, while Quentin Mill and John Hyslop would occupy part-time roles due to work commitments. Taylor’s son Blake will join his father and sister in the side when he comes back from Otago University next week.

“We’re excited about the new season,” Greg Taylor said. “This tournament gives everyone a chance to get in some good batting and bowling practice. With Marty Brandso, Quentin Mill and Blake Taylor not available tomorrow, it’s a chance for others to step up. As for the regular season, we’d like to be in contention for the top trophies, so our aim is a top-four place and we’ll take it from there.”

Campion have retained all their players for the first half of the season, before Torrie, Caleb Greaves, Patrick Mathers and Marshall Norris leave school. Greaves will join HSOB for the Walker Shield and DJ Barry Cup games, with the futures of Mathers and Norris undecided.

“The Nines tournament is an interesting concept, something that could be batting heaven and bowling hell,” Greaves said. “Batsmen will be teeing off from the first ball and bowlers need to bowl tightly to keep runs to a minimum, with only seven fielders. It will be an interesting day and a lot of fun to start the season.”

Greaves said the team were taking a different approach from past seasons. “Previously we have set our expectations too high,” he said. “At times we got carried away and overcomplicated things. This season we’re aiming to reach small goals each week and build on each performance, rather than have an overall season expectation which we’ve set in the past. We want to build into a winning team before worrying about finals.”

OBR v GBHSJonathan Purcell retains the captaincy of Landmark Homes Bain Construction OBR, who take on Gisborne Boys’ High School in their opening game.

OBR have retained the core of last season’s squad — Timoti Weir, Nick Greeks, Jimmy Holden, Matt Cook, Jerome Ellis, Craig Christophers, Ian Loffler — and added Zane Boyle, an aggressive swing bowler who has returned to the district after completing a forestry degree at the University of Canterbury.

“Zane’s not available this weekend but we’re hoping to have some cameos from a few former players, including my brother Joe,” said club captain Ian Loffler. “Having a festival day is a perfect way to start the season . . . a bit of a bash-around. We’re excited about the season format and hope to qualify for top-four semifinals closer to Christmas.”

Robbie Tallott is taking over the Boys’ High captaincy from Jarrod Davenport.

“Jarrod and Jak Rowe are leaving after the Christmas holidays but at least we’ll have them for the first half of the season, although Jak isn’t available this weekend,” said Tallott, who will be helped by Ben O’Brien-Leaf. “Jak’s recovering from surgery. We’re quite short on numbers this week with a lot of our junior players away at a Year 9/10 tournament.”