“It was an all-round performance that the lads and I were proud of. We finished the season on a high note.”
In-swing bowler Trowell took the new ball and, from 6.1 overs, took 5-16. Left-armer Keegan Jooste (2-22 from four), Matthew Foster (1-16), Daniel Watts (1-13) and Max Briant (1-2) were also among the wickets as Hastings, under skipper Josh Doran, were bowled out for 112 in 30.1 overs of the 40-over match.
The Rep block — where Gisborne Boys’ High as first-place qualifiers showed defensive grit to draw with OBR and claim the DJ Barry Cup — became the stage upon which Cohen Loffler was to play an aggressive, controlled, match-winning hand.
Loffler hit eight fours and carried his bat for 70. His opening partner, Luke Fisher, was bowled for a golden duck with the score at three, but the Boys’ High No.1 shared a partnership of 60 with Trowell (17) and 50 with second-drop Sebastian Wilson (17 not out).
On Saturday, wicketkeeper Wilson, who had come in at No.6 and scored 14 runs off 87 balls, farmed strike intelligently on behalf of No.11 Adam Situ (3).
On Monday, Wilson was all business with Loffler. They brought up a great win in 20.2 overs, Wilson glancing the second ball he faced from Doran for the winning run.
Both Loffler and Wilson showed maturity in the middle.
Akina’s wicket-takers were opening bowler Jacob Rameka, with 1-12, and KJ Hardgrave Abe, who took 1-19.
HBHS director of cricket Dean Roulston gave Gisborne their due.
“Gisborne made great first use of the overhead conditions bowling first,” Roulston said.
“Nathan put the ball in good areas consistently and caused us all sorts of headaches. We fought back to get from 51-7 to 112, with gloveman Wills Moroney playing very well for 53 before being bowled by Max.
“We got off to a good start. Jacob got a wicket five balls in, but we weren’t able to convert other early chances we created and were unable to put pressure on Gisborne’s strokemakers, who batted with intent.
“We were really impressed with GBHS, who have continued to make real improvements from what we saw at the Super 8 tournament.”
Trowell’s outfit lost the first game of the traditional fixture, a T20, by five wickets on Sunday afternoon after Gisborne had won the toss and posted 117-8.
Loffler (20), Trowell (20) and Wilson (21) led the scoring and the home team’s biggest partnership was 33, between Loffler and Trowell, for the second wicket.
Hastings second-change bowler James Harper took 2-19 in three overs and was the pick of the visitors’ pace attack
Three batsmen took up the challenge for Akina in pursuit of Gisborne’s total: Hardgrave Abe and Moroney both made 30 (Moroney was not out at the end), and Doran made 22 at the top of the order.
Gisborne’s Foster took a creditable 2-24 in four overs, while left-armer Travis O’Rourke bowled well to snare 1-6 in two overs before shin splints forced him from the field.
On his T20 debut at first 11 level, Daniel Watts was excellent value, nabbing 1-26 off four overs.
Hastings took 11 runs from five balls of the 19th over, the third bowled by off-spinner Daniel Stewart (1-17), to win on a wide-ball.
Of the T20, GBHS head coach Malcolm Trowell said: “Cohen, Nathan and Seb batted well for us. With the ball, Travis was fast and straight.”
The biggest margin of victory for a GBHS first 11 against Hastings came in 2011, when then-skipper Izaya Broderick won the toss and made 116, Sam Tallott made 70 and off-spinner Danny Gibbs scored 69 in a total of 327-7. Gibbs also took 10 wickets for 41 runs in the match — 5-21 and 5-20. HBHS were dismissed for 49 in their first innings and for 118 in their second in that two-day game. Gisborne’s winning margin was 160 runs.
The GBHS Colts’ last interschool win against Hastings here also came in 2011, Gisborne captain Dane Thompson scoring a memorable century in that year’s 40-over match.
Like Gibbs, Broderick and Tallott, Thompson was a Northern Districts age-group player.
On Sunday and Monday this week, Akina took the honours at colts level. They beat GBHS by five wickets in the T20 on Sunday and by seven wickets in the 40-over game.
In the T20, GBHS made 75-7, with 22 not out from No.7 by Alex Shanks their best individual score.
On Monday they were dismissed for 55 in 16.1 overs.
Gisborne captain Dylan Foster won the first toss and lost the second.
In the second meeting, Hastings opening bowler William Taylor (3-12 off 4.1 overs), tall medium-pacer Max Thornton (3-20 in four, including 3-3 in the ninth over) and Dylan Nel (3-4 from four overs) were in destructive form.
Taylor had threatened mayhem in the T20, where he took 2-11 off four overs.
Akina got to 76 and victory in 17.2 overs of the T20.
Gisborne’s John Broad (2-14) and leg-spinner Foster (1-17) bowled out, while left-arm orthodox spinner Riker Rolls took 1-12 off two.
On Monday, Rolls took 2-13 off 4.4 overs and left-arm speedster Lukas Fry took 1-5 off two. Dylan Worsnop held two great catches at point.
Of interest in the colts fixture was the quality spin bowled by Foster and Rolls. If they work hard, they could one day be key components in a balanced GBHS bowling attack. Foster’s control of length has improved greatly; Rolls is that rarest of young bowlers, accurate from the first ball.
The 23-run innings by GBHS opener George Gillies in Game 2 was the highest individual score by a GBHS Colts batsman on both days.
The first 11 fixtures were well-controlled by umpires Stewart Patrick and James Raroa, while Martin Bennett and Gary Coutts stood for the Colts.
As was the case with George Swanepoel in the Campion College-GBHS second 11 game at Hope Cup level last weekend, the excellent tone these umpires set — especially with young players — was as important as any decision. Their contribution was much-appreciated by all four teams.
