Runs aplenty in Hope Cup fixtures

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

Thor had a hammer; so does Thom Berry.

The hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman clubbed two sixes and four fours in his 37-ball innings of 42 on Saturday. Berry and his Old Boys' Rugby captain, fellow opener Craig Christophers (47 off 28), both retired with the score at 100 in 10.5 overs while first-drop Ian Loffler (44 not-out from 39) saw OBR through to an eight-wicket win v Gisborne Boys' High School. The other 30-over Hope Cup games played at the Harry Barker Reserve saw competition leaders the Ngatapa Green Caps win a thriller against third-placed High School Old Boys Presidents by one wicket while team No.6 - Campion College - beat Horouta by four runs.

Fourth-placed Coastal Ultrasound Horouta last tasted victory in round three: in vanquishing GBHS on ground number four at the weekend, Rawhiti Legal OBR, in second spot, won their fifth game in a row since 16 November. “We bowled 34 wides and three no-balls: trainings over the next few weeks will be around improving bowling accuracy,” said Christophers. “We batted well, which put pressure on the Boys' High bowlers and fieldsmen - as a result the required rate of five runs per over was not an issue for new batsmen starting their innings.”

GBHS skipper Daniel Stewart's young team (he was the only Year 12 player) also batted well but Stewart has identified at least one area in which the side might improve: “We all need to become more consistent with the ball if we want to be competitive against good teams like OBR.”

Stewart won the toss, Boys' High made 166-8 with first-drop Nathan Trowell (47 off 50) and opener Cohen Loffler (27 from 30) promising innings both ending prematurely. Savvy seamers Ian Loffler (1-17-6) - with his change of pace - and Christophers' (1-24-6) control of swing were impressive on a no.4 pitch which aided accurate seam bowling.

Kelan Bryant and Alex Shanks were good value for GBHS in the field on debut but the tone for the second innings was set by OBR keeper Berry and his terrific striking of the ball. OBR had won their Round 6 encounter with Boys' High by nine wickets: then as on Saturday, their batsmen punished width and errors in length by the bowlers. Off-spinner Stewart (1-30-6) and gloveman cum medium-pacer Cohen Loffler (1-37-5.5 overs) were the only GBHS bowlers to claim a scalp.

Civil Project Solutions Ngatapa skipper Mike Gibson and his Green Caps have every reason to be cock-a-hoop.

The 2019 champions ran down Bollywood HSOB Presidents' 222-4 in 29.3 overs, the anticlimactic final act - the scores were tied - being an off-side wide bowled by Glen Udall (1-19-3.3 overs). The batsman on strike was Ngatapa No.10 Tim Gardner (14 not-out); the non-striker was No.11 Angus Orsler, who had yet to face a ball.

“We bowled pretty well to some classy batsmen but still we'd never scored 223 ourselves before: it's very satisfying to know that we can,” said Gibson. “We're looking forward to another really tough but enjoyable game against HSOB on 29 February (1 v 4, 2 v 3 semi-finals) or 7 March (final).”

Having been sent in to bat by Ngatapa, HSOB' 222 was built on three excellent knocks: opener Udall's 104 retired off 101 balls, first-drop Ollie Needham's 47 from 54, Finn Aitcheson's 15-ball 26 at No.4. Green caps opening bowler Angus Orsler (2-37-6) and off-spinner Grant Walsh (2-41-6) were Ngatapa's best with the ball. As had been the case with HSOB, Gibson's crew produced three innings of consequence: former HSOB man Walsh hammered a six and 10 fours in his 67 off 51 from No.1, the skipper himself hit struck eight boundaries in his 43-ball 57 from No.5 and Walsh's opening partner Chris Richardson rattled up 28 from 25 in only 29 minutes. While the biggest partnership in the clash was that of 144 for the second wicket between Udall and Needham, the game's key partnership was the 51-run stand for the fifth wicket between Walsh and Gibson...which ‘keeper Needham ended by running Walsh out. Presidents captain Isaac Hughes spoke of his bowlers' post-Christmas rustiness while giving due credit to Jake Theron (4-30-6) - the best paceman on show in the match - and seamer Nick Armour, whose recent hard work at net practice paid off with 1-31-6.

Mark Naden is justifiably proud of Campion.

Missing regular captain Liam Spring and all-rounder Blake Marshall, the college's four run-win v Horouta was a lesson in the value of partnerships. Game-day captain Cam Rowell won the toss and chose to bat: Campion put up 167-8 then bowled the Waka out with four balls remaining. Coach Mark and son Matt Naden made 77 in 11.4 overs as an opening pair with old boy Daniel Torrie (47) and Luke Hurlstone (25) later adding 55 for the sixth wicket: Hurlstone had made his highest Hope Cup score before being adjudged LBW to former Northern Spirit off-spinner Mel Knight (1-21-3), right-arm around the wicket to the right-hander; the last ball of the innings was a low full-toss that hit Hurlstone on the full in front of off stump. Hasantha Vithanage (4-16-5) was brilliant with the ball for Horouta. He and HSOB's Theron were the only bowlers in the Hope Cup to take four wickets on what were good No.1 and No.3 pitches respectively.

Horouta No.3 Terry Te Moananui batted well for 45 (the top individual score in the run-chase) before he was caught by Mark Naden off the medium-pace of Maddie Ashworth (3-29-6) - no other batsman scored 20 for the Waka. Rowell took 2-23-6 and Hurlstone 1-26-5.

“We're proud because it was a total team effort - batting from Matt, Cam, Dan, Luke and Rubi Perano; bowling from Cam, Luke, Dan, Matt, Maddie, Hamish Swann and Matt King; outstanding fielding from everyone including Daryl Dunn, Hamish and Makaraka School principal Hayden Swann,” said Naden senior of Campion's first-ever defence of the Naden-Taylor Trophy for competition between the college and The Waka, in remembrance of Horouta cricketer the late Vaughan Thompson. “It was great to honour Vaughan again and to have umpires Gary Coutts and Marty Bennett give up their time to stand all day in 30 degree heat was unbelievable.”