Fearnley MVP as battling Bay lose opener

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

They put up a fight.

The Poverty Bay Year 7 boys team lost Game 1 at the Riverbend cricket camp to Hutt Districts by two wickets yesterday.

Hutt captain and Most Valuable Player Noah Boyle won the toss and elected to bowl on the artificial pitch at Frimley Park in the 30-over match.

Poverty Bay posted 105-9, their skipper, MVP and first-drop Nathaniel Fearnley topscoring with 29 off 45 balls in 57 minutes.

Hutt leg-spinner Vrajesh Patel (2 wickets for one run off two overs) and left-arm paceman Navik Alwis (2-9 off 3) were excellent value.

Fearnley and no.4 Taye McGuinness (12) shared the Bay's biggest partnership of 35 for the third wicket.

In the Hutt innings, Boyle, at 3, topped all scorers with 41 off 64 balls before being bowled by Fearnley, who took 3-1 from 3.5 overs.

Fellow seamer Taylor Scott claimed 2-15 off three, workhorse medium-pacer Tom Rouse 1-7 off four and leg-spinner Jett Whitaker 1-15 off 2.

Hutt reached 106-8 in 26.5 overs for the win.

Hutt coach Mike Nyberg was impressed by the resilience of the Poverty Bay team.

His opposite, Andrew Scott, said that having PB operations manager Nicholas Hendrie and junior development officer Bruce Kerr present on days one and two of the four-day campaign was much-appreciated.

Poverty Bay today play 30-over games against Onslow White and Collegians Black.