Taylors doing their bit for the ‘Horouta cause’

HOROUTA PROUD: Greg Taylor and his children Phoebe and Blake are all members of the Horouta team who are eyeing a place in the Doleman Cup semifinals.

HOROUTA are only one win away from a place in Poverty Bay club cricket’s Doleman Cup semifinals and despite Greg Taylor playing it down, he, son Blake and daughter Phoebe deserve recognition for their contribution.

All three were members of last season’s Hope Cup-winning team and are back in green for the 2015-2016 season.

Blake and Marty Brandso have formed a formidable bowling partnership, which has helped Horouta to a three-win, one-loss record with two rounds to go to the top-four playoffs.

Blake, home from his first year of studying health science at Otago University, is only 18 but has become one of the squad’s senior players.

In his sixth season with Horouta, the former Lytton High student, who is looking at specialising in physiotherapy, is always encouraging his teammates.

He and Brandso have given Horouta genuine strikepower and Blake’s belief in the “Horouta cause” and commitment in the field has made him a valuable asset.

In Saturday’s demolition of Tamarind High School Old Boys in Doleman Cup 30-overs play, Blake took career-best figures of six wickets for 12 runs off 6.5 overs while Brandson picked up 4-21 off seven as HSOB were rolled for 35.

After losing four wickets in the chase, club captain and chief organiser Greg Taylor, with Dogar Puria at the other end, guided Horouta to a six-wicket victory, which put them on 12 points.

They remained on that total after the weekend doubleheader, losing to defending champions Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates on Sunday.

“Pirates deserved to win but the boys gave it everything in the field and we picked up six wickets,” Greg said.

Cricket in the bloodPhoebe (15) is in her third season with the side and “loving every minute of it”.

“It’s neat to play alongside Dad and Blake,” said Phoebe, who gives her all in the field and is a handy bowler, picking up key wickets each week.

Phoebe’s ambition is to play for the New Zealand women’s cricket team and she moved a step towards that last year when she captured 10 wickets for Northern Districts at the national under-15 tournament. She was the second top wicket-taker at the tournament and helped ND to fourth.

Phoebe is also a Poverty Bay senior women’s representative and will play for the PB secondary girls’ team at a ND tournament in Tauranga next month.

For now, though, the focus is on this weekend’s penultimate Doleman Cup round-robin game against Landmark Homes Bain Construction OBR.

A win will secure Horouta a place in the semis but Greg Taylor is keen to keep them grounded.

“We’re not getting carried away. Pirates did us a favour and we know OBR will be another tough game, but we’re all delighted that we are at least in a position to be challenging for a place in the semis.

“All the players deserve credit. We’re developing a good team culture, where we all enjoy each other’s company on and off the field.

“ But you really need to give special mention to our senior players — captain Bryan Forde, Marty, and Clarence Campbell — who lead by example.”

There is another Taylor who is Horouta through and through — Greg’s wife Wendy, their “No.1 supporter” and chief photographer.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to give Wendy something to photograph this season but, like I said, we’re not getting carried away,” said Greg. “We’ve won three games and we are on the right track.”