They got five — setting up a dramatic final few minutes — and went up for a caught-behind appeal on the final ball. It was turned down by the umpire, as was a big appeal for leg before wicket earlier.
As OBR players left the field, they weren’t sure if they had done enough to lift the trophy. They had, just, but they had Boys’ High to thank for stoic resistance in the other match.
Although OBR were delighted when they heard how the other match played out, captain Jonathan Purcell said the team had mixed feelings. When OBR came up just short of putting the title race beyond doubt, some players felt it was like they had lost.
“It was all a bit strange, really,” he said.
The overs ticked by and still no second wicket had been taken.
“We were getting pretty desperate.”
The day — sunny and hot at Harry Barker Reserve — started well for OBR.
Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates batted first and made just 56, with Jimmy Holden taking six for 12 off 11.2 overs.
Holden said he was getting the ball to shape away nicely.
He said he then got the ball to swing the other way, accounting for Matt Crampton, caught behind for 26.
“Jimmy was exceptional,” Purcell said.
OBR put pressure on themselves to perform and did the hard work early, he said.
“We had plenty of energy in the field.”
OBR, who also won the Doleman Cup 40-over competition, had a chance to take an unassailable lead in the DJ Barry Cup if they scored 150 with the bat.
They fell just short against a Pirates outfit who had only nine players, getting to 138, with batting mainstay Ian Loffler making 30.
“We did a lot of getting ourselves out,” Purcell said.
Crampton, the competition’s leading wicket-taker and top of the leaderboard for most valuable player overall, took 4-12 off eight overs for Pirates and Manaia Ngata held two crucial catches in the deep.
Crampton and Sam Patterson dug in when Pirates batted again, getting their team to 61-1 at the close of play.
The day was in some ways a triumph for the teams who finished third and fourth as both Pirates and Boys’ High prevented their opponents from getting all the points they wanted.
HSOB captain Scott Tallott said his side did all they could to make the final round interesting.
“It was good to see the competition go down to the last afternoon,” he said.
“We couldn’t do much more. We gave it a good push.”
Three points behind OBR at the start of the day, they closed the gap to one point. If they had got one more, the competition would have been decided on net run rate and HSOB were ahead on that.
“I’m dirty on a few key moments of the season,” Tallott said.
One was from the previous week, when HSOB would have been almost assured of getting one extra point if the playing conditions across the two matches had been the same. OBR were able to make use of 10 extra minutes not afforded to HSOB, an inconsistency Poverty Bay Cricket Association operations manager Nic Hendrie said the clubs would “sadly” have to live with.
“But we don’t necessarily play to lift trophies — they’re the icing on the cake,” Tallott said.
“HSOB is about involvement and building the club.”
Hendrie was in attendance on Saturday, giving the final word on any rules disputes and running a barbecue.
There being no final, he had wanted the last round to be a showcase of positive cricket and that was one thing it delivered, even the often-conservative Boys’ High batsmen opening their shoulders as HSOB went after wickets.
Batting first, Boys’ High made 92-8, with Jacob Colbert scoring 24 and Jack Faulkner, 20.
Jak Rowe took 5-54 off 17 overs for HSOB and Parminder Kulaar took 3-33 off 12.
In reply, HSOB scored 127-8, Bruce Kerr leading the way with 63.
Josiah Turner took 5-50 off 12.1 overs for Boys’ High.
Batting again, Boys’ High made 119-5.
Captain Paul Stewart made a bright 39, Colbert scored 31 and Adam Whibley, 23. Colbert hit three sixes during his two innings.
Kulaar took 4-47 off eight overs.
In the closing stages, supporters hardly knew which game to focus on.
Whibley played a glorious hook shot for Boys’ High. The next ball, in the other game, Holden bowled Pirates opener Brad Reynolds.
That left OBR with just one more wicket to get to win the title, while Boys’ High were going strong in the other game.
It got really tight after that but OBR had done just enough to lift the DJ Barry Cup.
Pirates 56 off 23.2 overs (Matt Crampton 26; Jimmy Holden 6-12) and 61-1 off 22 overs (Crampton 24 not out) lost to OBR 138 off 34.4 overs (Ian Loffler 30; Crampton 4-12, Tayla Hollis 2-26, Brad Reynolds 2-38).
Gisborne Boys’ High School 92-8 off 33.4 overs (Jacob Colbert 24, Jack Faulkner 20; Jak Rowe 5-54, Parminder Kulaar 3-33) and 119-5 off 20 overs (Paul Stewart 39, Colbert 31, Adam Whibley 23; Kulaar 4-47) lost to High School Old Boys 127-8 off 25.1 overs (Bruce Kerr 63, Ajay Kumar 20; Josiah Turner 5-50, Colbert 2-11).
