Gisborne Intermediate School host Ilminster in the Poverty Bay decider of the New Zealand Community Trust Cup cricket competition at Gisborne Intermediate tomorrow.
Gisborne Intermediate principal and coach Glen Udall is looking for his team to execute the basic skills: bowl accurately, be sharp in the field and, when batting,play each ball on its merits.
“We have a strong bowling line-up, but the batting is an unknown,” Udall said.
The team will be led by Sebastian Wilson, with Peter Reynolds and Dylan Foster sharing the vice-captaincy. Leg-spinner Foster finished 2017 in great form with the ball, taking 5-15-6.5 in Gisborne Intermediate’s 108-run win against Mt Maunganui.
The Gisborne Intermediate squad for the nine-a-side competition is: Wilson, Reynolds, Foster, wicket-keeper Gareth Langford, Kelan Bryant, Angus Henry, Noah Torrance-Cribb, Jarrod Ormiston, Campbell Steele and Henry Watson.
The Nan Baker-coached Ilminster team have great talent within their ranks.
Captain Angus Baker scored two unbeaten 50s for the Year 7 rep team at Riverbend and his teammates include the promising left-armer Lukas Fry, leggie Alex Shanks, George Gillies, Max Elsmore, Will Rouse, Jack Lepper, and Teleious Noah-Bryant.
“We’ll be up against it as all of the Gis Int players have played development grade cricket; I have four in that category,” Baker said.
Ilminster have beaten Gisborne Intermediate twice since the national championship began in 2000, at Harry Barker Reserve in 2003 and at Ilminster in 2005. Charlie Ngatai (’03) and Herschel Barker (’05) were the match-winners then, but Ilminster have not won at Gisborne Intermediate in nine attempts since 2001.
The winners of tomorrow’s game will advance to the Northern Districts regional finals in Tauranga on March 25, 26 and 27.
