Poverty Bay cricket talent runs deep

TEAMMATES AND OPPONENTS: Kayley Knight (left) and Tayla Hollis will play for the Northern Spirit’s A team against their Auckland counterparts in Auckland tomorrow. They will be opponents in the Northern Premier League women’s cricket competition, though. Knight will play for Velocity and Hollis, for Power. Picture by Liam Clayton

POVERTY Bay Cricket Association district manager and women’s development officer Mel Knight says having eight Gisborne cricketers playing in the Northern Premier League “shows the quality of girls coming through here is of a high standard”.

The eight include Tayla Hollis (Galaxy) who is contracted to the Northern Spirit team in the national women’s competition, and Kerry Tomlinson (Power), competing for the Central Hinds.

The others are Mel Knight, Kayley Knight (Galaxy), Lucy McHugh, Emma Hayes (Velocity), Phoebe Taylor (Power) and Courtney Hayes (Sonic).

“Another Poverty Bay player, Jayxena Piwari, played for Velocity last year as a floater between teams, depending on who needed a player,” Mel Knight said.

“Sarah Stannard, who also played for Velocity last year, is unavailable this year through injury.

“With the small number of females playing here, having that number playing NPL speaks volumes for the quality we have in Gisborne.

“I’m sure there will be more girls from here making the step up in future.”

Hollis, who has been outstanding for Pirates in the men’s club competitions said she got paid but didn’t know how much.

“That’s not why I play the game at this stage of my cricket career,” she said.

“I’m just happy to be a part of the squad . . . whatever I get will be a bonus,” said the 17-year-old, who is in the 12-strong squad playing Canterbury this weekend, in a Twenty20 game (yesterday) and two 50-over games (today and tomorrow).

“Ultimately I would love to play for the White Ferns but for now I just want to learn as much as I can from playing with and against more experienced players.

“I’ve been contracted for the first two rounds — against Canterbury and Central Districts — next week, so I want to do well in these games if I get the chance.”

Hollis, who has left school but is taking a gap year before making any decisions on her future outside cricket, is in the Spirit team as a medium-pace bowler.

“I don’t think I’ll be batting, but you never know,” she said.

“I got a few overs with the Spirit last year but I wasn’t contracted then so this is a step in the right direction.”

Hollis’s inclusion in the Spirit squad means she is not available for the Gisborne women’s team to play Palmerston North in a Central Districts “Super City” 50-over competition in Hastings tomorrow.

Mel Knight said Gisborne had not played a side from Manawatu in the 15 years she had been involved, so they were an unknown quantity.

“I’m sure they’ll have some strong players and we will have to perform well to beat them,” she said.

Gisborne Girls’ High School student 14-year-old Kayley Knight, daughter of Mel and Alan Knight, who made her debut for Galaxy against Power in the NPL last week, said she was nervous but excited.

“I was fielding at mid-off and missed a ball that was hit hard at me, which got me down but the players told me not to worry and that relaxed me.

“I enjoyed the experience after that.”

Kayley showed her potential with 1-16 off four tidy overs as Power were restricted to 107.

Galaxy chased down the target with four overs to spare.

Kayley — like Hollis, a medium-pace bowler — said her dream was to play for the White Ferns.

Meanwhile, both Knights will be in action tomorrow against Palmerston.

“Rachel Scott, Rubi Perano, Bayleigh Colbert and Paige Bentley are making their debuts, having come through Poverty Bay age-group sides in recent years,” Mel Knight said.

“We have a lot of depth in bowling, with eight options. We’ll look to make a lot of changes so that the batsmen can’t settle.”

GISBORNE: Mel Knight (captain), Lucy McHugh (vice-captain), Rachel Scott, Phoebe Taylor, Courtney Hayes, Emma Hayes, Jayxena Piwari, Kayley Knight, Rubi Perano (wicketkeeper), Bayleigh Colbert, Paige Bentley.