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CRICKET
It was time to be presidential — and they were.
High School Old Boys President’s showed grace under pressure to beat reigning Hope Cup cricket champions Ngatapa by 16 runs at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday.
“That game was a classic — it had everything,” Bollywood High School Old Boys President’s captain Isaac Hughes said of the top-of-the-table clash.
Opener Ollie Needham was their man of the match, scoring 81 not out.
And when it was time for President’s to field, Israel Turner took a hat-trick on his way to figures of four for 46 off 5.1 overs.
Hughes won the toss and President’s posted 182-8 in 30 overs.
Second-drop Jake Theron made their second-highest score, 35.
Civil Project Solutions Ngatapa Green Caps captain Mike Gibson bowled superbly to take 5-37 off six overs.
Fellow seamer Tim Gardner (1-35 off six) and right-arm slow bowler Steve Hickey (1-35 off six) also respected the principles of line and length.
Ngatapa, previously unbeaten, were bowled out for 166. Needham’s opening partner, veteran Glen Udall, bounced back from his four-ball duck to take 3-13 off six overs, two of which were maidens.
Udall had Ngatapa No.11 Heith Hawea out, leg before wicket, for nought with the last ball of the 30th over.
First-drop Joe Loffler’s 62 was the only innings of note for the Green Caps, Udall’s fellow pacemen Mike Francis (1-19 off six) and Theron (1-24 off six), and left-arm orthodox spinner Ryan Majstrovic (1-45 off five) also taking wickets.
Ngatapa player/club co-ordinator Chris Hurlstone said: “We got dangerman Glen Udall out cheaply but couldn’t get Ollie Needham. Five wickets for Gibbo, some good catching and even 62 from Joe wasn’t quite enough. HSOB closed the game out very well.”
The seemingly timeless duo of Craig Christophers and Ian Loffler steered Rawhiti Legal Old Boys Rugby to victory over the Gisborne Boys’ High School Colts by nine wickets, while Campion College claimed their first scalp of the season with a 16-run win against Coastal Ultrasound Horouta.
Colts captain Daniel Stewart won the toss against OBR in a 5 v 4 clash, and Boys’ High reached 137-6 in their 30 overs.
First-drop Nathan Trowell scored 28 from 43 balls before he was brilliantly run out by Damon Husband, who gathered a wide return throw and hit the wicket at his, the bowler’s, end with a back-flick while heading away from the stumps.
OBR skipper Christophers refers to Husband and his teammate Rongomai Smith as The Showtime Twins.
Stewart played his best innings of the season to date. His 21 runs off 24 balls included a six over midwicket from the bowling of OBR man of the match Loffler (3-21 off five overs).
Lloyd van Zyl (1-15 off six) and Amit Vyas (1-23 off six) were the other successful OBR bowlers.
Boys’ High second-drop DJ Penfold and No.5 Matthew Foster both scored 15, while No.7 batsman Sebastian Wilson (12 not out off 10 balls) was the only player in his team to score at or more than a run a ball.
OBR’s left-hand/right-hand opening pair of Peter Stewart and Christophers were separated at 25.
Trowell (1-27 off 3.5 overs) took the only OBR wicket to fall, that of Stewart, caught behind by wicketkeeper Jack Whitehead-McKay for eight.
Christophers retired, having scored 46 from 48 balls, and first-drop Loffler (65 from 47) also retired.
The Christophers-Loffler partnership put on 89 runs in 12.4 overs. Smith, in at No.4, smote two boundaries and later a six over long on off Trowell to win the game. OBR were 143-1, and Smith finished on 18 not out.
Christophers said: “The Boys’ High batsmen all valued their wicket and accelerated towards the end of that first innings.
“But pitch No.3, which we’ve played on for the past two weeks, is now our home ground. There’s something in it for the bowlers, if you put the effort in and hit the right areas. Batsmen can play their shots, and the outfield gives you value for money.”
Daniel Stewart acknowledged the experience and influence of Christophers and Loffler.
“Craig and Ian made it difficult for our bowlers to settle . . . 137 was a good total for us batting first. Our middle order controlled things. We played well.”
Campion College have won the Naden-Taylor Trophy for the first time.
In the absence of regular captain Heyan Ranasinghe, Horouta’s Kavinda Yasith won the toss and chose to bat.
“The Waka” made 139-7, first-drop Mel Knight reaching 40 off 53 balls before being run out by Campion player-coach Mark Naden.
Opener James Craig had earlier made a patient 24 before being bowled by promising all-rounder Rhys Grogan (1-20 off four overs).
Luke Hurlstone (1-23 off six) and Matt King (1-26 off five) bowled well seam-up but leg-spinner Liam Barbier — whose skill and variety propelled them into the Hope Cup final two years ago — was the star turn for Campion with 2-22 off four.
The Liam Spring-led Campion then chased down Horouta’s total with three overs and two balls to spare. Openers Naden (51 off 52 balls with seven fours) and Spring (28 from 52 with four fours and a six) gave the college a dream start.
Spring went with the total at 71 with 14.2 overs gone. Naden and No.3 Blake Marshall (16) then put on 33 before Naden was bowled by the best of the Horouta bowlers, Chad Collins (2-21 off six).
Giant Max Briant then followed up his 12-ball 24 against OBR the weekend before with 21 not out off 13 in Campion’s first successful run-chase this season. He cut former Northern Spirit off-spinner Mel Knight (1-29 off five) over cover’s head for four, later hit the offie straight, on to the hockey turf for six and finally pulled Spirit A representative Kayley Knight (0-24 off 4.4 overs) for the winning runs: a one-bounce four over midwicket.
Horouta’s Hasantha Vithanage (1-22 off five) and Mel Knight took some tap but also picked up big wickets: those of Spring (Vithanage) and Marshall (Knight).
“It’s good to have a win under our belts — to have older students like Max, Blake and me step up and make runs, with a key role played by Mr Naden,” Spring said.
“We’ll be back next week, fighting again for the same result.”