Pups post 200 to beat Tairawhiti women’s club

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

CRICKET

There were three of them.

Caleb Taewa's 73, No.6 Malsha Mahabalage's 37 off 41 balls and Taye McGuinness's 36 off 30 balls from No.7 were all unbeaten innings in the HSOB Pups' 79 run-win v TWCC.

The Pups posted 200-4 in the first round of 30-over matches on artificial pitches at Nelson Park. Seamer Jessica Hayward (2-31-5) was the best of the TWCC (Tairawhiti Women's Cricket Club) bowlers.

TWCC captain Grace Levy made 24 not out from No.9: she faced only 15 balls but hit four boundaries as the ladies were bowled out for 121 in 26 overs.

Both Taewa and Gayesha Mahabalage took 3-6 in four overs for the Pups; Riki Reedy (2-30-4) their third most successful bowler.

The Bollywood Stars chased down the Ngatapa Knights' 158 — and then some.

The Stars were bowled out for 166 after 25.5 overs in the second innings, the match continuing past the rote target of 158 because wickets lost in a new batsman's “grace period” (cannot be dismissed in his first six balls) are worth five runs to the bowling side: thus, if a team whose score has been passed can claim wickets during the remaining batsmen's grace period, they can increase their first innings score and so still win the game.

The Knights batted first and were dismissed for 155 in 25.5 overs. Gus Moylan hit five fours in his 25-ball innings of 32 from No.7, opener Jonah Reynolds struck three boundaries off 39 balls for 27; both batsmen retired. Dillon Jackson snared 3-14 from 2.5 overs for HSOB and his fellow medium-pacer Manjot Singh took 2-7-3.

Jackson backed up his bowling effort with an excellent 22 in the second innings, as first-drop, but the mover and shaker was Philburgh Viljoen.

In at six, he hit a six and three other boundaries from 17 balls for his team's highest individual score (24).

Viljoen bowls at good pace, has already played Hope Cup cricket and has the potential to be a strong all-rounder.

Moylan had bowling figures of 3-31-4, completing a good double.

A number of promising cricketers, now Year 8, have served their apprenticeship and took the Colts Grade by the scruff of the neck in Round 1 of the 30-over competition on Saturday.

Ben Langford (33 from 30 at No.5) and Theo Mackay (27 off 24 balls) were in form for the David File Decorators Old Boys Rugby Sharks in their 14-run win v the DNature Dragons.

OBR reached 178-6 in 30 completed overs, Keanu Makiri (2-19-4) being the best of the Dragons bowlers. Makiri bowled good line, length and moved the ball both ways off the seam.

In the second innings, DNature Dragons all-rounder Nathaniel Fearnley played superbly. He produced eight boundaries in a 27-ball knock of 46 from No.7.

Izayah Morrison (3-24-4), Joel Kirkpatrick (2-16-3.5 overs) and Ben Langford (2-20-4) rose to the occasion with the ball — Morrison claiming the key wicket of Fearnley, caught by Mackay.

The Dragons were dismissed for 164 in 25.5 overs.