ND schoolgirls trophy on the line

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

The champions shall shortly take centre stage.

The Mel Knight-coached Poverty Bay team — last season's winners of the Northern Districts girls' secondary schools cricket tournament and the Louise Milliken Cup — will not hand over their hard-won trophy without a fight.

The tournament at John Kerkhof Park in Cambridge features six teams. They play two T20 games on Wednesday and Thursday and a 30-over match on Friday, with overall points deciding the champions.

Knight has seen triumph — the Bay's first championship in 2019 — and tragedy — three run outs with the score at 74 chasing 80 — in the 20th over of their 2015 meeting with Bay of Plenty.

“The girls are going there to defend the trophy they won last year,” said Knight. “We expect Waikato Valley to be our toughest opponents.”

Poverty Bay play Northland and Hamilton at JKP2 on Day 1, Bay of Plenty and Counties-Manukau on Day 2 and the Valley in the 30-over game on Day 3.

Poverty Bay will be led by Kayley Knight and experienced wicketkeeper Rubi Perano, who have both represented ND at under 19 level.

Kayley debuted for the Northern Spirit last month while Grace Levy played at u15 level for ND last summer.

Grace Kuil was a non-travelling reserve for the ND u15s.

Coach Knight is proud of her team's work ethic.

“They're an awesome bunch of girls. Jess Hayward, Helen Evans and Savannah McGhee are new to this level of cricket but they're all very tidy in the field and that's where we want to set a high standard.

“Hopefully our senior players all contribute to some really good scores — 120-plus totals — in the T20 games.”