Gisborne Challenge Cup cricketers raring to go

Players are all set for the Challenge Cup cricket competition featuring four sides - three from Gisborne Boys' High and one from Campion College. Photo / Getty Images

Poverty Bay Cricket’s new wave comes in on Wednesday.

The T20 Challenge Cup, which was claimed in term 1 by Jett Whitaker’s Gisborne Boys’ High School Blues and Royals, will see the return of the Blues, GBHS Admiralty, GBHS Life Guards and Campion College second XI.

The Blues beat the Life Guards by four wickets to win the final of the first half of last season’s competition and after Christmas beat the Admiralty - who had won five games in a row - by five runs to claim the William Townley Shield.

Whitaker (28) and Gisborne Intermediate Year 7 student Arthur Cave (25) put on 52 at the top of the order, a match-winning stand at Harry Barker Reserve in the last game of the season.

Campion withdrew their team from the second half of the 2023-24 competition prior to the March 27 final but are now reinvested, and with the college not fielding a first 11 in the Senior B Grade, have focus on junior development.

They will be captained by Cornelius du Preez.

Long-serving coach Mark Naden confirmed the Green and Golds were looking forward to this season’s competition.

The GBHS teams have captains of potential in left-arm swing bowler Caleb Taewa and all-rounder Patrick McInnes for the Blues, Jonah Reynolds and off-spinner Ted Gillies for the Admiralty and all-rounder Robbie Newlands and stylish wicket-keeper batsman and sometimes left-arm orthodox spinner Charlie Whitfield for the Life Guards..

The Challenge Cup is a special competition because where in other places cricketers are stuck within age groups or year groups, here those capable of doing so can play up.

Otago Volt and former Poverty Bay men’s senior representative captain Thorn Parkes, who made his maiden first-class century - 115 v Central Districts on March 24 last year - played Premier Grade club cricket as a Year 8 student.

“Competing with people who are more developed, physically and mentally, you find ways to problem solve, become stronger, and that can translate into life outside the game as well,” said Parkes, now aged 24.

“Batting retirements hinder competitiveness in young players and it doesn’t teach kids how to score runs, which is the point of playing cricket.”

Draw for round 1, 3.30pm, Nelson Park: 1A, Campion College Second XI v GBHS The Admiralty; 2A, GBHS The Blues and Royals v GBHS The Life Guards.

GBHS The Blues and Royals: Caleb Taewa (captain), Patrick McInnes (vice-captain), Tarn Boyle, Arthur Cave, Hunter Irwin, Kobe Donnelly, Alex Langford, Matthew Langford, Joel Kirkpatrick, Taimana Lloyd, Jack Roberts, Jack Williams.

GBHS The Admiralty: Jonah Reynolds (co-captain), Ted Gillies (cc), Archie Gillies, Harvey Reynolds, Raffaele Colucci, Jake Kirkpatrick, Cody McMurray, Gayesha Mahabalage, Conrad Parkes, Liam Pinn, Mitchell Van Zyl, Kegan Van Zyl.

GBHS The Life Guards: Robbie Newlands (cc), Charlie Whitfield (cc), Finnbar Whitfield, Aiden Armstrong, Bjorn Botma, Brandon Fearnley, Tristan Flamwell, Jordyn Haley, Jack Holden, Micah Langford, Jesse Schumann.

Campion College 2nd XI: Cornelius du Preez (c), Jacobus du Preez, Jahnu Gouws, Liam Coetzee, Jasper Sutherland, Kushan Malimage, Gus Hopkins, Dev Basra, Michael Wilson.