Showdown for young guns,‘It’s a game we’ll both be targeting’ — Gibbs

Thorn Parkes batting for Poverty Bay against Waikato Valley in a senior secondary schoolboys’ tournament game here last year. Picture by Paul Rickard

POVERTY Bay cricket captain Danny Gibbs says this weekend’s clash against Waikato Valley will be a battle between “two young sides each with a ton of potential”.

“Clint Price, the Valley coach, has a good young side but so have we,” Gibbs said.

“It’s a game we’ll both be targeting for a win.”

Bollywood Stars Poverty Bay coach Lance Cairns welcomes back new-ball bowler Jak Rowe and top-order batsman Thorn Parkes, who both missed last week’s 10-wicket one-day loss against Hawke’s Bay in Napier.

“The scoreboard wasn’t a true reflection of the game,” Gibbs said.

“We made a good start, then Hawke’s Bay picked up some really good catches, and there were a couple of lbw decisions that could have gone our way.

“The thing about this team is the potential; it’s huge but it’s time to start fulfilling that potential.

“Scott Tallott is an exceptionally naturally talented cricketer, a genuine matchwinner.

“If he bats for two or more hours, he can win a game on his own.

“Thorn Parkes (King’s College student) is another exciting young batsman. Drew Scott, still at Boys’ High, got a good start last week (19 off 22 balls) before being run out. He’s still learning at this level but growing in confidence.

“Jak (Rowe), who will take the new ball with Richard Mills, has shown in the past he is capable of ripping through a batting line-up.

“But at the end of the day, potential is all very good. We need to start winning games. Our first two wins against Northern Districts Maori gave us a good start to the season but last week was disappointing.”

Cairns will be looking for Gibbs, Thomas Hayes, Kieran Venema and Mills to do the business with the bat.

Gibbs then has good variety in attack in Rowe, Mills, Timoti Weir, Jonathan Purcell, Jimmy Holden and Blake Taylor.

Valley coach Price, in his third season as coach, has two senior players — Keith Vincent and Sam Cooper — in a young team.

The last time the sides met in a two-day game at Harry Barker Reserve, Vincent scored an unbeaten 66 and Cooper was 69 not out as Valley posted 328-3 declared after the Bay were rolled for 152.

Eighteen-year-old Robbie Tallott saved the Bay from an outright loss when he batted for 160 minutes and faced 115 balls for 28no to see the Bay through to 167-6 for a draw.

Vincent was also here a few weeks ago as vice-captain and manager of the Northern Districts Maori team.

He ended up on the losing side in both the 35-over match and a Twenty 20 game.

Cairns will no doubt be hoping the wily off-spinner leaves Gisborne on Sunday on the back of another loss. However, reports out of Waikato suggest the visitors have been improving under Price.