Poverty Bay Y6 boys give Y7s a fright

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

They went very close.

The Poverty Bay Year 6 boys' cricket team came within five runs of a huge upset win over their Y7 counterparts at Harry Barker Reserve yesterday in the lead-up to the Riverbend cricket camps.

A maiden final over from Y7 captain and paceman Nathaniel Fearnley (1 for 12 off three overs) to the game's highest-scoring batsman, Y6 opener Jonah Reynolds (40 not out), decided the 30-over match.

Y6 captain Jack Holden won the toss and chose to bowl. The older team made 146-5, with left-handed opener Tom Rouse retiring for 24.

Fellow opener Aiden Armstrong (23) was the second leading scorer for the Y7s while Holden (1 for 6 off 3) and Dillon Jackson (1-9 off 3) bowling well for the Y6s.

The second innings saw Reynolds and first-drop Arlo Willis (30no) at the heart of an effort in which the Y6s reach 141-8 against an attack spearheaded by Connor Starck (2-14 off 3).

Rouse backed up with 2-19 off 3 while Vincent Patrick-Page showed good control in taking 1-3 off 2.

“We tried to keep up the run-rate with our keeper Ricky Reedy and Caleb Taewa each hitting a couple of boundaries and rotating the strike for Jonah at the end,” said Y6 coach Jimmy Holden.

Y7 coach Andrew Scott was pleased with the lively hit-out.

“We gave our new boys opportunities today. A special mention to our openers, who saw the new ball off. Aiden was on to anything loose and Tom grafted.

“Riverbend is extremely important to our young cricketers. My oldest son, former Poverty Bay men's senior representative Drew, has fond memories of that environment and even now bumps into guys he played against there.”

The Y7s and Y6s are the teams Poverty Bay Cricket is sending to the 150-plus team tournament in Hawke's Bay.

The Y7s play Hutt District on Wednesday, Onslow White and Collegians Black on Thursday, Taupo and Taranaki on Friday and Upper Hutt on Saturday.

The Y7 squad are Jett Whitaker, Ollie Egan, Nathaniel Fearnley (c), Anikate Bandral, Taye McGuinness, Taylor Scott, Tom Rouse, Connor Starck, Aiden Armstrong, Riker Rolls, Izan Duckworth and Vincent Patrick-Page.

The Y6 team are in action next week.