OBR fall to students

OFFSIDE DRIVE: Horouta’s Marty Brandso hits this delivery through the off side during Saturday’s Doleman Cup game against Campion College. Brandso took five wickets for 25 runs off six overs to help Horouta to a 105-run win. Picture by Liam Clayton

ROBBIE Tallott was in outstanding form with bat and ball at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday as Gisborne Boys’ High School (1) ended OBR’s unbeaten run in Doleman Cup cricket.

The Boys’ High skipper top-scored with 72 as his side posted 166-5. Tallott then picked up three wickets for 17 runs off six fiery overs as Landmark Homes Bain Construction OBR, who won their opening two games, were rolled for 72.

Horouta, who had the bye last week, made it two wins from two with a 105-run victory over Campion College, while Tamarind High School Old Boys chalked up their first win, accounting for Gisborne Boys’ High School (2).

OBR won the toss and put Boys’ High (1) in on a pitch more suited to the bowlers.

“We just didn’t get the ball in the right spots consistently enough,” said OBR’s Jimmy Holden, who picked up 2-21.

“We’d build pressure then let them in with some bad overs.

“You have to give credit to Robbie, who didn’t give any chances. He batted really well and was only out trying to push the total up near the end, when he was caught on the boundary by Timoti Weir.”

Tallott said he would have put OBR in first had he won the toss.

“To get 166 on that pitch was a good score,” said Tallott, who shared a third-wicket stand of 94 with Drew Scott (21).

“It was hard to force the ball through to the boundary.”

Medium-pacer Jarrod Davenport, who also featured with the ball, added a valuable 27 runs.

“All it needed was for the bowlers to step up and be backed up in the field, and against a good side like OBR, that’s what happened,” Tallott said.

Jak Rowe struck the first blow when he bowled Craig Christophers for four with the score at six.

“That was a big wicket, especially so early on,” Tallott said.

Weir was then run out with no addition to the score and when Davenport knocked over the stumps off Evan Mooney and OBR captain Jonathan Purcell, OBR were 39-4 with a lot resting on the shoulders of Ian Loffler.

Beginning of the endBut when Korab Harrison-Allen caught Loffler off Ryan Nepe for 19, it was the beginning of the end.

Nepe bowled Matt Henwood for a duck and then Tallott removed Kieran Venema for one and P Jethawa for nought in successive balls.

Zane Boyle survived the hat-trick ball but soon became Tallott’s third victim.

Nepe, who caused the batsmen trouble all day, wrapped up the innings when he bowled Holden for 12.

“We started the season with a bad loss to Horouta but the boys have worked hard at practice and everyone’s doing their job,” Tallott said.

Horouta skipper Bryan Forde won the toss against Campion and elected to bat, only for Marshall Norris to get an early breakthrough when he dismissed Francis Gray for five.

Forde (40) and Keegan Martin (20) put on 62 runs for the second wicket.

“Campion clawed their way back after the drinks break, with Matt Naden and Nicole Torrie wreaking havoc to the middle order, capturing six wickets between them,” Horouta club captain Greg Taylor said.

Clarence Campbell (38) stepped up, with support at the other end from Amit Vyas and Dogar Puria, as Horouta were dismissed for 154 in 30.1 overs.

Nicole Torrie (4-32 off seven overs) was the chief wicket-taker for Campion.

Horouta soon had Campion in trouble when Blake Taylor took another great slips catch off Martin to dismiss skipper and danger-man James Torrie for eight with the score at 12.

Twelve for none soon became 12-4 as Marty Brandso and Blake Taylor showed devastating form.

With these two working in tandem, Campion couldn’t build partnerships and wickets fell at regular intervals.

Brandso finished with 5-25 off six overs. Phoebe Taylor bowled a wicket-maiden, leaving Clarence Campbell to take the last wicket.

“We’re happy to take the points, but there’s room for improvement, especially in our middle-order batting,” Greg Taylor said.

High School Old Boys medium-pace bowler Ryan Majstrovic was promoted to open the batting against Boys’ High (2) and responded with a swashbuckling 86 that included nine fours and two sixes as HSOB posted a formidable 210-8.

“We let them get away early on but came back at them after drinks,” said GBHS (2) player-coach Paul Jefferson, whose side were 86-1 after 35 overs, with Peter Kapene on 27 not out and Mel Knight on 17 no.

Kapene and opening partner Angus Osler (17) put on 44 runs before Osler was run out.