GBHS teams to clash in Challenge Cup

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

The Challenge Cup took off last week. Now it’s set to explode.

The Seb Wilson-led Blues and Royals go head to head with The Admiralty in this meeting of the two Gisborne Boys’ High School teams in Round 2.

Although the Blues and Royals have players out with injury, nothing can distract skipper Wilson or his embattled crew.

“We’re playing against people we train with: it’s a rivalry and nothing else matters if we win,” said Wilson, the newly named Poverty Bay junior secondary schools captain. He made an unbeaten 67 from No.4 in the 37-run win against the Tairawhiti Women’s Cricket Club in Game 1.

Blues and Royals wicketkeeper Jack Whitehead-McKay (32 runs) and George Gillies (26) shared a 57-run opening stand against TWCC. Wilson and Dylan Worsnop (10) then put up 70 together for the fourth wicket.

The Admiralty, under Noah Torrance-Cribb, beat Campion College-Lytton High School combined by two wickets.

First-drop Torrance-Cribb played a great innings of 72, sharing a 130-run stand for the second wicket with Alex Shanks (54).

Meanwhile, Campion-Lytton skipper and No.1 Liam Spring (86) and second-drop Rhys Grogan (40) stepped up to the mark.

They compiled 112 runs for the third wicket, Spring and big-hitter Reuben Swanepoel (8) producing 56 as an opening pair.

TWCC captain Kayley Knight (32 runs) and Grace Levy (23) shared the biggest opening partnership of Round 1 — 64. To Knight and her team, the fun factor is first and foremost.

“We’re enjoying it and I like having a competition with diverse teams and players with different levels of ability,” she said.

“Even though we started off with a loss, it’s all smiles from us on the boundary line and laughs out in the middle.”