Maiden over wins it

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

Isaac Thomas’s feat last Saturday was stupendous.

The Civil Project Solutions Ngatapa Green Caps all-rounder backed up his 37-ball innings of 65 from first drop with an over for the ages against Rawhiti Legal Old Boys Rugby at Harry Barker Reserve.

Medium-pacer Thomas bowled a maiden to a titan of Senior B Grade club cricket, OBR captain and wicketkeeper Thom Berry, to win this Round 11 clash for Ngatapa.

It was an incredible effort because going into the 30th and final over, OBR needed only five runs to win. Berry was on 93 from 87 balls, and had hit five sixes and eight fours.

Eighth-man-in Lloyd van Zyl was on nought, not having faced a ball, at the non-striker's end.

Ngatapa won by four runs.

Berry had earlier won the toss and opted to bowl.

The Green Caps made 198-5 courtesy in the main to Thomas, Mike Gibson (23) at No.5, second-drop Ollie Jonasen (22 not out) and openers Jacque Davis and skipper Charles Morrison, both of whom made 30.

OBR medium-pacers Lloyd van Zyl, George Reynolds, Amit Vyas and Jannie Jacobs took a wicket each, with legspinner Harvey Reynolds (1-49, four overs) having Morrison stumped by Berry.

In response, Berry at the top of the order and OBR second-drop Jacobs (64) were superb in a batting card that finished up with 194-6. Aside from those two, the next-best scorer was Berry's opening partner, Franco Ludwig (13). No one else made double-figures.

Ngatapa offspinner George Gillies took 3-23 from four overs. He was the only bowler in the match to claim more than one wicket.

Of Thomas’s last over, Green Caps skipper Morrison said: “If you're bowling a maiden in the 30th, it has to be good. He moved the ball off the seam and bowled a good length that was difficult to hit.”

These Blue-and-Whites are men of substance.

The Jeff Chambers-led Chicking High School Old Boys Presidents proved that in their six-wicket win against Campion College on Saturday.

Campion are a spirited outfit against whom things can get messy fast for veterans grown complacent.

Campion skipper Hamish Swann won the toss and chose to bat. He made 57 and shared a 55-run opening stand with Taye McGuinness (17). Big first-drop Rhys Grogan made 41 off 30 balls, in a fair but modest total, and Presidents all-rounder Matt Jefferd took 4-25 from five overs of solid offspin bowling.

Jefferd backed up that effort with 45 from No.1. He and gloveman Ollie Needham (67no) put on 115 for the second wicket — a partnership that decided the match — after Nathan Quimpo was out, leg before wicket, to Campion spearhead Grogan for a golden duck.

Grogan took 1-13 and Taye McGuinness, 2-28 with one maiden. Both Grogan and McGuinness bowled out.

Needham hit medium-pacer Gagandeep Singh (0-27, 3.5 overs) for four to win the game with one ball remaining in the 27th over.

Gisborne Boys' High School (2) claimed their first competition points of the season by default, against Breakers Horouta Te Waka.