DANGER MAN: Craig Christophers is among the players returning for OBR against Pirates tomorrow. Picture by Liam Clayton
CRICKET
POVERTY Bay cricketer of the year Craig Christophers has given a big tick to the new-look Walker Shield T15 Blast competition
The Blast, which starts on October 19, is the brainchild of Poverty Bay operations manager Nicholas Hendrie, as he tries to bring a taste of the Indian Premier League to Gisborne.
“Nick is bringing some fresh new ideas to local cricket as Mohit (Rao) did before him, and one of these ideas is the T15 franchise league,” said Christophers, who starred in Bain Construction OBR’s title treble-winning 2017-2018 season.
“He has organised team names and playing shirts, which are colourful and will stand out about as much as the pink balls we’ll be using.”
Christophers is a massive fan of test and limited overs cricket.
“But T15 suits me and a lot of cricketers in Gisborne.
“Gisborne summers are outstanding. People want to spend time at the beach, camping or doing activities with the family, so time is precious.
“The T15 competition provides some Friday entertainment for players or supporters, who can bring their families down to enjoy the atmosphere and watch the pink ball fly.
“I’m looking forward to playing for OBR with many of my mates, and I’m proud of the culture we have built as a club over the past 20 years.
“However, with a limit of only five members from a club in a franchise team, it means that we will go head to head with guys who usually have your back.
“The launch of the competition is set to be exciting. An auction evening where players are purchased by team owners and captains will be a strategic event that will require some robust planning and forethought in order to secure the players who can execute the team game plan and build the culture. I’d encourage all cricket players to register for the T15 competition on the PB cricket website.
“Experienced veterans, young up-and-comers or those who have played mercantile could be the gems the owners are looking to purchase.”
Hendrie said that while registrations were slow, he was confident he would be able to field four senior teams and four junior teams.
“I’ve been told by a few Gisborne cricketers that players here don’t think about cricket during the winter season, when they are playing other sports, but they’re confident that as we get closer to the start of the T15, we’ll get the numbers,”
“But with only two months to go it would be good if players started sending in their registrations.
“We’ve got our four team sponsors on board — Eastland Plumbing and Gasfitting Broncos, Auto Tyres Eagles, Smash Palace Bail Breakers and Bollywood Stars.
“We’ve partnered with Smash Palace for the event. We’re holding the player auction night on October 4. We’ve got two auctioneers who are going to be running the night.
“The one concern I have is the Junior Colts league. Numbers have been slow and due to it being a new competition I think the public are not aware of the target market.
“This league is directed at the intermediate grade and years 9-10 high school players.
“It is a copy and paste version of the Walker Shield T15 Blast. The same teams will play each other on Wednesday afternoons — same coloured kits as Walker Shield teams.
“It’s taken the place of the C-Grade comp that was run last year and will hopefully attract more adolescents to the game.
“It will be high-energy stuff that is over in 2½ hours, and you get to play with a pink ball.”
The junior league is not just for boys.
“We’re hoping talented girl cricketers will get involved. If numbers warrant it, we’ll look at having an all-girls team included.
“We’ve also added a 35-overs competition for these players that will be played on the Saturday mornings.
“This was based on the general feedback I got from parents, players and the junior committee over the winter.
“This modified set-up will hopefully continue to create an enjoyable and competitive league for the younger players, and will help grow their confidence and love for the game.
“The NZC nationwide census indicates we have lost on average 27 percent of secondary cricketers to other sports and hobbies in the past five years.
“This is of major concern for all major and district cricket associations.
“The full season (October- March) cost for the Junior Colts league is $70; roughly equivalent to $3.50 a game (20 fixtures excluding finals).”
Full details are available on the website www.pbcricket.co.nz