HSOB were the team to beat at the start of the season, but OBR and GBHS have steadily chipped away at that top position with hard work and dedication.
While every player on the HSOB roster has the ability to turn a game, an ever-changing line-up means you never really know what to expect from them. They could just as easily belt 300 runs with the bat as fizzle for 99 all out as they did against GBHS in their last match.
Captain Carl Shaw said the long-weekend break was good for the team, giving them time to think about their performance against GBHS.
“We are hoping for a bit more resilience and for people to value their wicket and do the job themselves, not leave it for the next guy,” Shaw said.
He said the team had a wealth of talent, and they were building towards bringing all their complementary skills together.
Their goals were more long-term, and they were thrilled with the direction the club was taking and the way the team played.
OBR have been the most consistent team this season, on the back of strong leadership and their team culture.
Even when they don’t field the full 11, they play with the passion and vigour of a wild animal trapped in a corner, and often come out victorious.
With batsmen Paul Stewart and Josh Adams at the helm, OBR’s batting starts strong and has the depth to finish the innings even stronger.
OBR captain Ian Loffler said the team saw the game as “crucial” in their bid to clinch a spot in the finals.
“All the boys are refreshed after a weekend off,” he said.
“HSOB-OBR clashes are always good battles. They’ll be tough to beat.”
The team will be without Loffler and Cody Andrews this week, which is a big blow to their depth as they have been the preferred captains throughout the season.
Joe Loffler will play again this weekend after coming back into the fold and scoring a handy 23 runs in their victory over Horouta two weeks ago.
His experience with the bat would be beneficial to the team, Ian Loffler said.
GBHS have built a steady lead on the points table with wins against HSOB and OBR, and will be favourites to extend their lead against the struggling Horouta side.
Boys’ High have the two best bowlers in the competition, by the numbers, in Te Raimana Gray and Travis O’Rourke, and have been using their diverse bowling attack well to find the pressure points of their opponents.
GBHS coach Mal Trowell said he expected the team to be refreshed and raring to go after their week-long break.
“The boys are chomping at the bit to make another final.”
GBHS had a steep learning curve at the Super 8 tournament last week, where their highest score was 127 in the 50-over format, and the team had discussed “getting back on the horse” at training this week, he said.
“They’re pretty excited about getting back into our local competition.”
Horouta have been improving steadily throughout the season. Unfortunately for them, everyone else has been improving, too, and Horouta have continued to struggle with the bat.
In their last performance, they had OBR up against the ropes but were unable to capitalise and take the crucial wickets needed for victory.
Moving Ben Brick up the order looks to have solved some of the team’s issues, as he is the competition’s leading run-scorer going into this weekend with an average of 45.5.
Horouta captain David Situ said the decision to shuffle their batting order had worked well and there was no reason to change it.
He said the team would have to do all three of the key skills — batting, bowling and fielding — well if they wanted to come out on top against GBHS.
“We’ve always had two (of them) good, but one has fallen over. It’s quite annoying.”
