Gisborne High School Old Boys win Walker Shield T15 club cricket final

The Bollywood HSOB team who won the Poverty Bay Premier Grade Walker Shield T15 final at Harry Barker Reserve on Thursday are, back row (from left): Pushpinder Kumar, Uday Charlee, Akira Makiri, Nathaniel Fearnley, Jett Whitaker and Alex Shanks. Front: David Gray, Riker Rolls, Anthony Boyder, Taye McGuinness (captain) and Connor Starck.

Glory delayed is not glory denied.

After a delay of nine weeks due primarily to wet weather, the youngest Bollywood High School Old Boys’ Premier Grade crew in 130 years beat Coastal Concrete OBR by 32 runs in the 2025-2026 T15 Walker Shield grand final.

The low-scoring affair at Harry Barker Reserve was a tight tussle from the outset.

HSOB captain Taye McGuinness won the toss and opted to bat first on the rep wicket.

The speed of the ball across the outfield was a factor in the game yet the Blues’ opening pair of David Gray (32) and Pushpinder Kumar (42) set a standard for application only OBR opener Martin Worndl (33 not out), of the batsmen who followed them, approached.

Medium-pacer Franco Ludwig (one wicket for 17 runs off two overs), bowling second change, had Kumar caught by Jonah Reynolds at backward point to end the collaboration at 62 - four balls into the eighth over.

Leg spinner Harvey Reynolds took 1-15 off two and OBR skipper Matthew Cook 1-17 off three.

Cook’s new ball partner Jimmy Holden (1-28-3) took a sharp return catch low to his left to dismiss HSOB second-drop Alex Shanks (8). That great grab saw HSOB 108-4 first ball of the 14th over and they went on to post 125-4.

In carrying his bat, Worndl put on 21 with Zyden Worsnop (3) for the second wicket - OBR’s most fruitful stand.

No other OBR batsman reached double figures. Holden was unbeaten on nine from No.8.

Off-spinner Kumar (2-7-2) and left-arm orthodox spinner Riker Rolls (2-9-3) rose to the occasion for HSOB with the ball, as did McGuinness.

He held a fine catch to account for his fellow wicketkeeper, fourth man in Jarrod Ormiston (7), off Rolls five balls into the seventh over, reducing OBR to 54-3.

Four overs later, the HSOB captain made a sharp stumping off Kumar to dismiss Tom Garrett first ball.

Poverty Bay head of umpires Jason Trowill made the right decision authoritatively, where a lesser official, assuming the ball was dead, might have switched off.

The ball was not dead. Trowill and his colleague Stu Patrick had a fine match, as OBR ended 93-6 after 15 completed overs.

McGuinness, 18, the youngest-ever captain of a HSOB Premier Grade team, paid tribute to old hands Kumar, Anthony Boyder and their most senior figure Glen Udall.

“We were stoked to finally pull through and win that,” McGuinness said. “Davey and AJ (Kumar) did a great job getting established and we were able to maintain that momentum. Effort-plus fielding and bowling full won the second half of the game.”

Veteran Cook, who has done more than his share of hard work to put out the best OBR combination possible, said: “HSOB batted well. They put us under pressure by running hard between wickets. They were on track for a big score, but our bowlers did a good job in restricting them, but numerous dropped catches cost us.

“We made a positive start with the bat but, with wickets falling regularly, but couldn’t build decent partnerships.”

Having lost the first week of the longer-form DJ Barry Cup competition to rain last Saturday, Round 2 this weekend from 12pm will pit HSOB against defending champions, Moshim’s Spice Horouta Te Waka on HBR 1 while Gisborne Boys’ High School First XI will do battle with OBR on the rep wicket.

In Reserve Grade Hope Cup 30-over games, Round 2 has HSOB Presidents playing GBHS Second XI from 2pm on HBR2 and Moshim’s Spice Horouta Te Waka up against Pioneer Ngatapa Green Caps on HBR4.