Cricket returning to Gisborne’s Rectory ground for first time in nearly 20 years

Gisborne Boys’ High School 1st XI cricket captain Charlie Whitfield, pictured on the newly relaid cricket pitch at the Rectory in front of the GBHS War Memorial Sports Pavilion.

The Steve Whitaker-coached Gisborne Boys’ High School First XI cricket team will make some history at noon on Saturday.

Boys’ High will host a cricket match at their famous Rectory ground for the first time in almost 20 years.

Their opponents in the Round 4, 40-over Doleman Cup top-of-the-table clash will be Bollywood High School Old Boys led by 17-year-old Taye McGuinness.

GBHS principal, second-generation cricketer and HSOB Sports Club patron Tom Cairns is pleased to see the summer game return to the ground on which many great sportspeople have turned out over the years.

“We’re very excited to play cricket at the school again - that’ll be magic,” said Cairns.

“We’ll celebrate the fact that our groundsman Trevor Baty and property manager Sam Parkin have put long hours into preparing the pitch, and they have done a magnificent job.

“The Rectory has always played well, Steve and manager Graeme Newlands are doing a great job with the team and any old boys and girls who’d like to pop down, watch what should be a great game and join us for a barbecue, that’d be fantastic.”

“To host HSOB here is a privilege,” said GBHS First XI captain Charlie Whitfield.

“Our team are close-knit and we’re buzzing about this game because to play at home is a thrill.”

DMS Packing and Orchard Management have come on board as shirt sponsors of the First XI, with warm-up and travel tops.

The First Xl’s best and most famous win at the Rectory in the past 20 years was their 41-run victory against Napier BHS in 2006, captain Brendon O’Connor hitting three sixes and 21 fours in his 151 out of 258.

McGuinness, his former Campion College teammate Connor Starck, 2024-25 GBHS First XI captain Riker Rolls and his former GBHS teammates Nathaniel Fearnley and twins Akira and Keanu Makiri have joined Alex Shanks (another Boys’ High skipper of old), Anthony Boyder, Nick Armour and Pushpinder Kumar in the famous blue strip this season.

McGuinness’ side, like GBHS, have won two from three games in the Doleman Cup and lead the four-team competition by virtue of net run-rate.

But they are coming off a seven-wicket loss to Coastal Concrete OBR. Fearnley (19), Shanks (22) and McGuinness (30) all made starts batting first, but did not go on.

OBR left-hander Martin Worndl carried his bat for 62 and he will want to back up that performance against Moshim’s Spice Horouta Te Waka on Harry Barker Reserve’s rep wicket.

Jagroop Singh’s Waka were bowled out for 107 by Gisborne Boys’ High last Saturday and lost by six wickets.

In Round 4 of the Senior B Grade T20 competition (from 2pm), points table leaders Pioneer Ngatapa Green Caps face Moshim’s Spice Horouta Presidents on HBR 1 while GBHS Second XI play Bollywood HSOB Presidents on HBR 2.