Gisborne’s Senior B T20 club cricket competition starts on Saturday

Hope Cup senior men's B-grade club cricket starts on Saturday but with only four teams. Campion College are not fielding a First XI side while OBR seconds plan to enter the competition in 2025. Photo / Getty Images

Jeff Chambers’ Presidents are good keen men.

The only thing that stood between the Blue and Whites winning the Hope Cup B Grade men’s club cricket final last season was a close-knit Rawhiti Legal Old Boys’ Rugby unit and an extraordinary performance by the same.

An inspired all-round effort from the Thom Berry-Harvey Reynolds-led OBR saw them beat Chicking HSOB Presidents by 66 runs.

That great rivalry, however, will have to simmer until at least next year, as in meeting their club’s Premier Grade commitments, OBR’s seconds team will stand down from competition until the New Year.

The Presidents’ side for Saturday’s 2pm T20 clash with Breakers Horouta Te Waka on Harry Barker 3 will feature gloveman Ollie Needham, Thomas and Blake Crosby, a tough batsman to dislodge in Justin Kohere and tall Kyle Jean-Louis - a natural swing bowler with the ability to beat the bat on the outside and the inside - and left-arm orthodox spinner Sean Moran.

Horouta Te Waka, under gloveman Riley Horsfield, have a canny left-arm spinner of their own in Clarence Campbell, Ethan Ngarangione-Pearson - as clean a hitter of the ball as any in local club cricket - and a quiet achiever in Stanley Blake, whose responsibilities since joining the Waka have run the gamut from opening the batting to new ball duties and as a purveyor of finger and wrist spin.

Chambers said while he was delighted his HSOB side had players to spare tomorrow, his desire was that they only take baby steps forward in the season opener tomorrow.

The withdrawal of the Campion College First XI and OBR from the Senior B competition has made it a four-team grade.

Gisborne Boys’ High School’s Second Xl have a new captain - off-spinner Ted Gillies taking over from Jett Whitaker.

Gillies, who made 45 not out in a six wicket-win over Ngatapa last season, brings with him a group of capable batsmen in left-hander Jordyn Haley, Patrick McInnes and Charlie Whitfield.

And such is the keenness of local junior cricketers to step up that former OBR B Grade co-captain Harvey Reynolds, now 13, and Gisborne Intermediate School’s Jack Roberts will play for club teams tomorrow.

Boys’ High will play Ngatapa on ground No 4 tomorrow. Ngatapa are captained by Charlies Morrison - a fine off-spinner and batting technician.