Horouta back on top in Gisborne’s D.J. Barry Cup premier cricket

Wins to Horouta and HSOB in round four of Poverty Bay Premier club cricket's D.J. Barry Cup has them locked at the top of the table – Horouta leading on net run rate. Photo/ Getty Images

Shubham Ralhan’s crew are once more on top.

Moshim’s Spice Horouta Te Waka overcame Coastal Concrete Old Boys Rugby (OBR) in round four of Poverty Bay Premier Grade cricket’s D.J. Barry Cup on Saturday.

And in doing so, Horouta (30 points) took back the lead on the points table, albeit on net run rate from Bollywood High School Old Boys (HSOB)7.

Te Waka beat OBR (18pts) by 63 runs on the rep pitch at Harry Barker Reserve while HSOB defeated Gisborne Boys' High School (GBHS) First XI (4pts) by seven wickets on ground two.

Batting first, Horouta produced a pleasing effort after being 3-20 early on to make 209 from 43.5 overs.

Gautam Sareen, who has scored more than 500 runs this season, made 68, including nine boundaries, at No 3 while the fifth man in Lucky Singh’s 41 and captain Ralhan’s 34 in 24 balls were positive batting.

OBR spearhead Jimmy Holden got deserved reward for bowling well, claiming 5-63 in 11.3 overs – two of those maidens.

New-ball partner Etienne Botes was harder still to get away in his 3-24 off nine overs, including three maidens.

But the Waka are not a crew to go into their shell.

Sareen is an aggressive batter, although in scoring his sixth half-century of the season, he proved capable of grafting as well.

OBR skipper Matt Cook, who for years shared the new ball with Holden for Poverty Bay and OBR and OBM before that, acknowledged the veteran’s quality.

“After 25-odd years with our club, the old boy still produces quality cricket.”

Holden also stepped up with the bat when OBR were in trouble at 30-5 in the 11th over.

He made 43 at No 8 and Franco Ludwig, at No 5, smacked 57 in 55 balls – 44 of those runs coming in boundaries.

OBR were bowled out for 146 with five balls remaining in the 40th over.

Ralhan nabbed 4-8 off 6.1, Jagroop Singh 3-31 off 10 and his opening partner Himanshu Bhargav 3-38 off 11.

Ralhan, who also held three catches, was rapt.

“All of our players are in form and in truth, we’ve all been positive since game one. Winning the 40-over Doleman Cup competition before Christmas was great motivation.”

GBHS captain Riker Rolls won the toss and chose to bat against HSOB on a two-paced pitch that tested every batter’s footwork.

Blues spearhead Steve Lamb (3-23 off 9, including three maidens), who swings the ball into right-handed batters as a rule, bowled opener Charlie Whitfield (9) and fifth man in Nathaniel Fearnley (9) with great slower balls.

Opener Keanu Makiri (2) was bowled by a ground-grubber from Connor Starck (3-13 off 6).

First-drop David Gray (1) and younger brother Johnathon Gray (0) were adjudged leg before wicket off Lamb, who is deceptively quicker than might appear from the boundary’s edge.

Four GBHS batters were bowled; skipper Rolls, in at nine, hit an Anthony Boyder full toss to Rhys Grogan at short mid-wicket first ball; and two marvellous pieces of spin bowling accounted for Jett Whitaker (0) and Akira Makiri (3).

Hitting out, Makiri was caught by Lamb at point off a fullish leg-break from Grogan (1-10 off 3.1). Whitaker was bowled through the gate by a Boyder off-break that turned a good foot.

In HSOB’s chase, left-arm orthodox spinner Rolls bowled opener Taye McGuinness (14) and second drop François Louw in consecutive balls. The ball to McGuinness stayed down and hit off-stump. Louw was bowled around his legs while attempting to sweep a flighted delivery that curved.

Pace attack spearhead Johnathon Gray (1-16 off 6) bowled opener Carl Shaw, who shouldered arms, for 5.

The application of Alex Shanks, unbeaten on 29, set an example for all. He and hard-hitting Oscar McDonald (14 not out) got HSOB comfortably home – McDonald hitting three pull shots for four off Rolls to finish the game four balls into the 22nd over.

On a wicket that was not easy to bat on, Shanks' effort was mirrored by No 10 Robbie Newlands (19no).

Gayesha Mahabalage (13 from 38 balls) was the only other GBHS batter to make double figures.

In fifth-round games on Saturday, Horouta face GBHS while HSOB meet OBR.