Horouta pip GBHS for place in semis

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

DESPITE losing to High School Old Boys in the final game of Doleman Cup round-robin play, Horouta qualified fourth and will play defending champions OBR in the semifinals on Saturday.

Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates, who beat Gisborne Boys’ High, meet Bollywood Stars HSOB in the other semifinal of the Poverty Bay club cricket 40-overs competition.

Coastal Ultrasound Horouta and Boys’ High were joint fifth on five points but Horouta advanced to the top four playoffs because of a better net run rate (runs scored divided by wickets taken).

Horouta skipper Blake Taylor said his side did not have the depth or experience of the other three teams, but he was delighted to make the playoffs.

“We’re still building and growing as a cricket club, so the main emphasis for us is playing for each other, trying to improve along the way and having fun,” Taylor said.

“Sure we go out every week trying to win but OBR, like HSOB and Pirates, are a class team, and the odds will be in their favour.

“We’ll prepare as well as we can and if everyone gives 100 percent, like they always do, that’s all we can ask. I was rapt that we scored 183 against a strong HSOB team.”

Blake’s father Greg and David Situ got Horouta off to a solid start against Bain Construction OBR with an opening partnership of 41.

Situ was bowled by Marshall Norris for 24 in the seventh over.

Greg Taylor followed 15 runs later, bowled by Carl Shaw for 20.

Tusha Balat and Prince Malhotra had rebuilt the innings with a 45-run stand when Balat (24) was bowled by Jack Rowe with the score at 103-3 and the run rate at just under six runs an over.

Malhorta and Blake Taylor’s 31-run partnership ended when Malhorta was stumped by Stars captain Scott Tallott from the bowling of Gagan Dhinga.

Hard-hitting Malhorta topscored for his side with 38 off 30 balls, including two sixes and three fours.

With Vishal Amin and Blake Taylor taking the attack to the bowlers, Horouta were still on course for a competitive total.

But after Blake was trapped leg before wicket by Ajay Kumar for 16 and with 165 runs on the board, the wheels fell off.

Amin departed, lbw to Brent Armour with no addition to the total, and Horouta lost their remaining wickets for just 18 runs, with six overs remaining.

HSOB were in a spot of early trouble, with Shaw and first drop Jarrod Renouff dismissed with only 30 runs on the board.

A 50-run partnership from opener Glen Udall and Tallot revived the innings.

Tallott was the main aggressor, scoring 40 off 36 balls, including five fours and one six.

Blake Taylor broke the partnership when he bowled Udall for 16 and 83-3 became 87-4 when Tallott was run out.

Kumar and David Salmon took the game away from Horouta with an unbeaten stand of 97.

Kumar, who had earlier picked up two wickets, finished unbeaten on 50 off 47 balls while Salmon’s 34 came off 47 deliveries.

Bain Construction OBR medium pace bowler Matt Cook picked up his second six-wicket haul when he ripped through the Boys’ High batting.

Cook took 6-26 off seven overs as the students were bundled out for 72.

OBR lost Matt Henwood, Craig Christophers and Jacob Fraser to be 34-3.

George Purcell and Kieran Venama took then to within two runs of victory when Purcell, in his first game of the season, was caught by Andrew Whibley off Matthew Foster for a superb 44.

Pirates warmed up for the semifinals with a nine-wicket win against Campion College.

Batting first, Campion were rolled for 70, player-coach Mark Naden topscoring with 21.

Dan Torrie (4) and Richie Needham (3) took seven wickets between them.

Pirates opener Peter Stewart was trapped lbw by Luke Hurlstone without scoring.

That was to be the only joy for Campion as Needham made an unbeaten 45 off 32 balls, including nine fours, and Hayden Fenn compiled 17 not out.