Gutsy effort at Riverbend

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

Hard work? Yes. Everest? No.

The Poverty Bay Year 6 team tasted victory at the Riverbend tournament in Hawke's Bay with a 30-run win v Rotorua, and played good cricket in all six games.

The Jimmy Holden-Tim Kirkpatrick coached Bay lost to the Eastern Suburbs Rockets by seven wickets in their last outing on Saturday, with knowledgeable observers again struck by the Gisborne team's gutsy effort.

“Arlo Willis was outstanding in the field — he saved 30 runs,” Easts co-convenor of junior cricket and former Auckland A representative Paul Bracewell was moved to say. “He just had huge energy.”

Bay captain Leo Starck won the toss at Park Island, batted first on an artificial pitch and were all-out for 81 in 23.1 overs of a possible 30. No.4 Jonah Reynolds, Poverty Bay's Most Valuable Player, hit six boundaries in his unbeaten 34 from 39 balls.

In the second innings, Rockets opener Tom Bracewell (31 not-out off 36 balls) and aggressive first-drop George Gray (22 from 16) made an impression with the bat: Poverty Bay's wicket-takers were Starck (1-8-2), Joel Kirkpatrick (1-12-2) and Riki Reedy (1-15-2).

“Eastern Suburbs were a quality batting team and played the short ball well: for us, Jonah grafted hard to retire,” said Holden. “In the field, special mention to Arlo who cut off a lot of boundaries at deep square leg and Brandon Fearnley who took a great catch at fine leg: our boys made a huge effort in defence of a low total.”