HSOB and Gisborne Boys' High First XI had victories in Round 2 of the Doleman Cup Premier 40-over cricket competition.
Taye McGuinness’ side looks strong.
The Bollywood High School Old Boys captain’s youthful crew (allowing for the experience of Nicholas Armour and Anthony Boyder) made it two from two in Poverty Bay Premier cricket’s 40-over Doleman Cup competition on Saturday.
They beat 2024-25 triple crown winners Moshim’s Spice Horouta Te Waka by 108 runs at Harry Barker Reserve,
First-drop Alex Shanks (62 in 80 balls), McGuinness (53 off 45) at No 4, all-rounder Nathaniel Fearnley (31 from 33) at five and Boyder (20 in 12), who came in at six, were in the runs as HSOB rattled up 238-7.
Having been put in to bat on HBR No 1 by former HSOB man Jagroop Singh, they responded with watchful, brisk batsmanship and an eye for the loose delivery.
HSOB found the boundary rope 16 times and cleared it once when Boyder took to leg spinner Gautam Sareen (3 wickets for 54 runs off 8 overs).
Slow-medium bowler Arun Babu wheeled away for 2-49-7.4.
In the second innings, HSOB opening bowlers Fearnley (2-21-6) and Connor Starck attacked the stumps to great effect before left-arm orthodox spinner Riker Rolls took centre stage.
Rolls, with 3-11-8, including two maidens, was pinpoint accurate. He had second-drop Bobby Maan (1) caught at the wicket by McGuinness, fifth man Arun Aini caught for 1 by Starck at mid-off, and Babu lbw for a second-ball duck.
Te Waka were reeling at 79-5 off 12.5 overs and, despite the best efforts of No 3 Sareen (36) and stylish left-handed opener Hansa Fernando (22), Te Waka were dismissed for 130, two balls into the 30th over.
McGuinness, whose recruits this season include twins Akira and Keanu Makiri, has a raft of keen and skilful Under-19 Poverty Bay hopefuls to work with.
“We batted very well and backed it up with the ball. Our older players are leading the way, and new players are settling into their roles.”
Jagroop Singh said, “Full credit to HSOB, they played the better cricket and deserved the win. As a team, we’re disappointed with the result because we know we can perform at a higher level. We made some mistakes in key moments and, as our captain, I take responsibility for that.”
Elsewhere, Jordyn Haley tipped the game in favour of Gisborne Boys’ High First XI on Saturday.
The left-arm orthodox spin bowling all-rounder took 4-34 from eight overs in the students’ three-wicket win over Coastal Concrete Old Boys’ Rugby.
On a rep wicket pitch that had a bit in it for everyone, Matthew Cook of OBR won the toss and chose to bat.
Haley, the fifth bowler used, responded by turning the ball and coming up trumps.
In arguably the biggest moment of the first innings, he held an excellent low return catch to dismiss OBR opener Martin Worndl (46) off the last ball before the drinks break.
In his fourth over, he bowled Daniel Stewart, batting at five, for a golden duck. Then, three balls into his fifth over, he had second-drop Jonah Reynolds stumped by Alex Langford for 28.
Haley’s last scalp was that of OBR legend Jimmy Holden, at No 7, who was caught by captain Charlie Whitfield on the square leg boundary for a brisk 11 from 10 balls.
Holden’s dismissal, two balls into the 28th over, saw OBR at 124-7, and they did not score a run from the next 13 balls.
Whitfield, another left-arm orthodox spinner, took 1-18 in his first two-over spell, and closed the innings at 146 in 35.4 overs when umpire Stewart Patrick adjudged DJ Worsnop lbw for 12.
Haley, after his bowling heroics, then stepped up with the bat. He got to 20 as opener in the run chase, and his side were 40-2 when he was removed four balls into the 10th over.
Enter 15-year-old Patrick McInnes, who, in the next four overs, scored 20 off 15 and put on 30 with Gayesha Mahabalage.
Mahabalage’s 39 in 46 as first-drop and Whitfield’s busy 25 off 29 at five were also timely innings.
Boys’ High batted positively throughout.
OBR’s opening bowlers, outswing merchant Holden (2-37) and off-spinner Stewart (1-37), each bowled eight overs straight in an effort to knock off the GBHS top five.
Zyden Worsnop, the fourth bowler used, produced a penetrative spell of medium pace for his family club in grabbing 4-35 off 5 for the last four wickets of the match.
When Whitfield fell at 128-6, two balls into the 24th over, there was hope for OBR.
Caleb Taewa, at nine, pinched a single off Worsnop to tie the scores with one ball remaining in the 26th over, and Robbie Newlands (13no) signed off by pulling a half-tracker for four.
“A few of our guys made starts but not big scores,” Cook said. “Martin and Jonah batted well. In the second innings, Zyden was the pick of our bowlers, and Boys’ High ran well between wickets.”
In round 3 games on Saturday (from midday), GBHS face Horouta and OBR are up against HSOB.
Scoreboard
Poverty Bay Premier Grade cricket, Doleman Cup (40 overs), round 2
Gisborne Boys’ High School First XI 149-7 in 26 overs (Gayesha Mahabalage 39, Charlie Whitfield 25, Jordyn Haley 20, Patrick McInnes 20; Zyden Worsnop 4-35 runs off 5 overs, Jimmy Holden 2-37-8) def Coastal Concrete Old Boys’ Rugby 146 all out in 35.4 overs (Martin Worndl 46, Jonah Reynolds 28; Jordyn Haley 4-34-8, Charlie Whitfield 2-19-3.4 overs) by 3wkts.
Bollywood High School Old Boys 238 all out in 37.4 overs (Alex Shanks 62, Taye McGuinness 53, Nathaniel Fearnley 31, Anthony Boyder 20; Jagroop Singh 4-34-7.1, Gautam Sareen 3-54-8, Arun Babu 2-49-7.4) def Moshim’s Spice Horouta Te Waka 130 all out in 29.2 overs (Gautam Sareen 36, Hansa Fernando 22; Riker Rolls 3-11-8, Connor Starck 3-37-7, Nathaniel Fearnley 2-21-6) by 108 runs.
Senior B Grade, T20, round 2
Pioneer Ngatapa Green Caps 144-8 (Ollie Jonasen 62 not out, Brent Gallagher 31; Kobe Donnelly 1-18-4, Callum McInnes 1-22-3, Cody McMurray 1-36-4) def Gisborne Boys’ High School 2nd XI 118-8 (Kobe Donnelly 39no, Kavidu Withanage 18; Mark Kennedy 4-26-4, Anish Shivdikar 2-9-2) by 26 runs.
Bollywood High School Old Boys Presidents 102-3 in 10.2 overs (Hiren Bhatti 37, Matthew Jefferd 22, Brad Reynolds 22no; Matthew Kotuhi 2-23-3) def Moshim’s Spice Horouta Te Waka 99 all out in 16.4 overs (PJ Dagg 22, Thedchanamoorthy Senthooran 20; McKenzie Potts-Tyro 2-14-3, Bradley Clark 2-15-3) by 7wkts.