Ex-captains help OBR to victory over Gisborne Boys’ High in Premier club cricket

OBR outgunned Gisborne Boys' High School First XI in their Poverty Bay Premier 30-over Championship clash at Harry Barker Reserve.

Four of OBR’s best shook the cobwebs off and made a match-tilting return to Premier Grade cricket at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday.

Coastal Concrete OBR reactivated former skippers Jonathan Purcell and Nick Greeks, ex-Senior B captain Mana Taumanu and opening batsman Kieran Venema to great effect in Round 2 of 30-over play against Gisborne Boys’ High School First XI.

OBR beat the Steve Whitaker-coached GBHS by seven wickets.

The other scheduled clash between Moshim’s Spice Horouta Te Waka and Poverty Bay Composite did not go ahead.

Greeks took 4-19 and bowled a maiden in six overs of high-quality left-arm orthodox spin, with support from off-spinner Dan Stewart (2-24-6) and the sprightly new-ball pairing of OBR captain Matt Cook (2-14-4) and Jimmy Holden (1-16-4).

For GBHS, only fifth man in Jonah Reynolds (19), first-drop Gayesha Mahabalage (11) and left-hander Jordyn Haley (10), batting at No 8, reached double figures in a modest total of 93 from 22.2 overs on a wicket that took turn from ball one.

Greeks had Mahabalage stumped by Tom Garrett three balls into the 11th over and Stewart went around the wicket and through the gate to dismiss No 6 Robbie Newlands (4), two of the more memorable of the eight wickets to fall to spin in the match.

Boys’ High captain Charlie Whitfield (1-18-6) and fellow left-arm orthodox spinner Haley (1-23-6) were the only bowlers to take wickets in the second innings and contributed to some gritty, exciting cricket - as when Haley had Venema caught by gloveman Alex Langford, and Whitfield bowled Garrett (2), batting at 4.

Had OBR left the door ajar, the younger team might have repeated their heroics of January 31 when they beat OBR by eight runs in Round 2 of the longer-form DJ Barry Cup championship.

“It was a good team win,” Cook said. “We won the coin toss, put GBHS in with a view to bowling them out for under 100 and did that.

“Kieran [13] and Harvey [Reynolds, 27] got our run chase off to a great start with an opening partnership of 42, and Mana was 19 not out at the end.”

Cook scored the winning run with a dab cut to point for a single off Newlands from the last ball of the 27th over.

Poverty Bay Reserve Grade Hope Cup Championship (30 overs), Round 6, at Nelson Park

Bollywood High School Old Boys 164-6 (Alex Shanks 50 not out, Brad Reynolds 41, Jonny Hardie 20no; Aman Kamboj 1-25-5, Gautam Sareen 1-27-6) def Moshim’s Spice Horouta Te Waka 95 all out in 24.1overs (Hansa Fernando 22, Tony Bucheler 15; Brad Reynolds 3-13-4-1, Matthew Jefferd 2-3-3, Jonny Hardie 2-5-3-1, Jak Rowe 2-6-3) by 69 runs.

Pioneer Ngatapa Green Caps 236-3 (Jacque Davis 80, Sam Briant 48no, Charles Morrison 35 retired; Callum McInnes 1-35-6, Cody McMurray 1-44-6) def Gisborne Boys’ High School 2nd XI 86-8 (Cody McMurray 17, Charlie Hope 11; Edward Nepe 1-11-4, Mark Kennedy 1-16-6) by 150 runs.