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CRICKET
Poverty Bay boys’ Year 6 cricket team signed off on an excellent season, winning the last match of their eight-game campaign against Hawke’s Bay’s Cornwall by 51 runs here on Sunday. “
The boys’ will to win shone through as conditions improved on a very good day for junior cricket,” said Andrew Scott, who coached the PB team with Mark Langford.
“We posted a good score, dictated terms with bat and ball, and were razor sharp in the field.”
Cornwall Year 4-5 Blue captain Oliver Withnall won the toss and chose to bowl in the 25-over game at Harry Barker Reserve.
The home team made 145-2, No.5 Taye McGuinness hitting five boundaries in his innings of 27 runs off 23 balls.
Opening batsman Malsha Mahabalage, timed the ball nicely for 22 from 23.
Second-drop Connor Starck was the first to fall — with the score at 60 — off the last ball of the 11th over.
Four Poverty Bay batsmen retired not out.
The Bay then bowled out Cornwall for 94 in exactly 25 overs, seamers Vincent Walters (two wickets for eight runs off three overs) and the home side’s Most Valuable Player Ben Langford (2-8 off two) were the leading wicket-takers.
Only Cornwall opener and MVP Rohit Shaiju (34 from 42) made double figures for the visitors.
It took a superb delivery from Poverty Bay captain Nathaniel Fearnley (1-10 off three) to claim the 10th wicket.
Withnall said they did not normally get to play on grass, so enjoyed fielding.
Fearnley was relieved to finish both games (there was a fixture on Saturday afternoon) after the recent Napier-Tech fixture in Gisborne was washed out.
“Every player contributed in our last game. That’s what we wanted.”
Cornwall Blue coach Justin Briggs, whose team played 20 games this season, said Fearnley was “a classy cricketer” and that Poverty Bay were a very good team, and were “brilliant” in the field.
On Saturday, Poverty Bay lost to Cornwall White by 12 runs in a 22-over game at Nelson Park.
The visitors made 99 in 21.1 overs on the artificial wicket.
The Bay lost three wickets in the course of making 87.
Cornwall MVP Austin Thomas led all scorers in the game with 33 off 38 including a six and four boundaries.
Poverty Bay seamer McGuinness (2-3 off two) pipped Vincent Walters (2-7 off two) and Taylor Scott (2-9 off two) to be named the team’s MVP for a fine spell of bowling.
Mahabalage (14 retired) top-scored for the Bay in the second innings.
Cornwall’s Thomas, who took the new ball, claimed 2-15 off three.
Poverty Bay Years 4-5 team lost to their Cornwall Blue counterparts by seven wickets on Saturday, having made 47-8 in 22 overs.
The home side’s No.11, Jerome Tamatea, hit two fours in his 31-ball innings of 12 and was his team’s MVP.
No other Poverty Bay player made more than four as Cornwall paceman Jerome Tamanui (3-2 off nine) bowling superbly.
The Bay’s Johnathan Gray was also in top form with the ball, taking a wicket and bowling two maiden overs.
Fellow left-armer Jack Holden (1-2 off two) was the home team’s only other wicket-taker.
Cornwall Blue reached 48 in 11.1 overs.
On Sunday against Cornwall White, Poverty Bay Y4-5 made 96-7 off 25 overs.
Captain and No.8 Arlo Willis (22) and second-drop Marcus Gray (20 not out) were their top batsmen while Tamatea also retired.
Medium-pacer Daniel Niblet was Cornwall’s best bowler with 2-7 off three.
Marcus Gray (1-3 off two) was Poverty Bay’s MVP.
Marcus’s twin brother Johnathan and Jack Holden both took 1-5 off two.
Left-arm opening bowler Caleb Taewa also bowled well to capture 1-12 off three.
Cornwall captain Pirie scored 23 not out from No.6 to steer his team to victory.
Bay coach Jimmy Holden said they were a bit rusty on Saturday but made a massive improvement on Sunday, playing positive cricket.
“Our fielding and bowling over the two days was good.”
“It’s been a great season,” said Poverty Bay junior committee chairman Scott.
“The kids have loved their cricket, especially Riverbend.
“These exchanges and our long-standing relationship with Cornwall and Napier-Tech are very important to our young players’ development.”
The Poverty Bay junior prize-giving was held on Sunday afternoon. Results in tomorrow’s Herald.