Horouta are genuine contenders

HITTING OUT: Horouta opening batsman David Situ hit 15 boundaries in a memorable innings of 78 against OBR (2) in Hope Cup cricket at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday. The OBR wicketkeeper is Malcolm Trowell. Picture by Paul Rickard

CRICKET

You almost forget that they’re getting away on you.

And while they play their cricket in great spirit, Coastal Ultrasound Horouta are also genuine contenders to win the Hope Cup.

In Round 5 they beat Old Boys Rugby by 101 runs at the Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday.

Opening batsman David Situ hit 15 boundaries in a memorable innings of 78 runs from 62 balls.

Wicketkeeper Terry Te Moananui (26 runs off 27 balls), in at No.5, was Horouta’s other big contributor.

Horouta captain Clarence Campbell decided to bat first, and his team — second in the five-team division — made 199-8 in 30 overs.

Fourteen-year-old Nathan Trowell had already taken two wickets for eight runs from four overs in Saturday morning junior competition. For OBR in the afternoon he went one wicket better: 3-13 off four overs.

Kayley Knight (3-31 off six overs) opened the bowling and took the first three wickets to fall.

Horouta were 26-3 off 4.5 overs before Te Moananui joined Situ in the middle. Their fifth-wicket stand of 104 runs was the game’s match-winning partnership. Throughout it, Situ reinforced that he can and will take toll of any width on offer.

OBR were then bowled out for 98 in 21.4 overs, opener Jerome Ellis (30 off 44 balls) playing their only innings of note as left-armers Campbell (4-21 off five overs) and Keegan Martin (3-21 off six) bowled Horouta to victory.

Tushar Balat (2-13 off five) had earlier done an excellent job with the new ball for Horouta. Franco Colucci (1-2), with the fourth ball of his fourth over, took the last wicket to fall.

“It was a great win for us,” Campbell said.

“We were in trouble early on at 26-3 but recovered. Impressive, too, were Abhijit Gaikwad, who scored 23 runs off 36 balls at No.9, and Keegan Martin, who scored 22 from 12, with a six and two fours, batting at 10.

“Next week we’ve got Ngatapa, though — that’ll be a tough game.”

Third straight Hope Cup winThat’s three in a row.

The Stirling Logging Ngatapa Green Caps steamed to their third straight Hope Cup win on Saturday with a 56-run victory over previously unbeaten Campion College.

Ngatapa captain Matt Raleigh won the toss and chose to bat first. Ngatapa made 145-8 in 30 overs.

Lyle Crudis, batting at No.7, thumped five boundaries in his innings of 30 not out.

Second-drop Jack Jefferd (29 runs), No.6 Jock Spence (23) and opener Tom Holden (22) also featured with the bat.

Campion’s attack was strengthened by the return of Matt Naden, who took 3-12 off four overs. Max Briant (2-15 off six) and Sam Briant (1-11 off four) also bowled tightly.

Campion were then dismissed for 89 in 27.3 overs.

Max Briant, who bowled the first over of the match, also faced the first ball of the Campion innings. He made 13, and was the only Campion batsman to score in double-figures.

Ngatapa opening bowler Spence took 2-17 off five overs and Crudis — the fifth seamer used — took 2-18 off four. They asked questions of all the Campion batsmen, bowling a good line around off-stump.

Campion, like Ngatapa, have won three games, with one loss and the bye a fortnight ago, heading into Round 6. Ngatapa lost the season opener to Coastal Ultrasound Horouta — their opponents this Saturday — by nine wickets. OBR have one win and Bollywood High School Old Boys have yet to register a win.