They have proved time and time again this season that they're nearly unstoppable when they put together a good performance.They have depth in both batting and bowling.
Top-order batsmen such as Scott Tallott, Tyler Phelps, Israel Turner and Pat Udall can all win matches, while Marshall Norris and Jak Rowe are a dangerous opening pair with the ball.
HSOB captain Carl Shaw said the team's downfall this season had been individuals not taking responsibility for their performances and relying on others to step up.
“I think the desire to perform can come from having pride for the crest on your chest, which is why enjoying yourself is the culture we are all about. When you're proud of your club and excited to get on the field with a group of great people you want to perform.”
He said several players would be missing from their ranks, but they had brought in a “few exciting additions that should make Saturday fun”.
GBHS will be confident of their chances after they defeated an admittedly understrength OBR side. Boys' High were without their key playmakers with the bat, Nicholas Hendrie and Graham Sharp.
Sharp will be back this weekend, ahead of his debut for the Poverty Bay representative side, who play Hawke's Bay under-19s on Sunday.
The addition of the Gray brothers, Te Raimana and David, has given Boys' High significantly more options with both the bat and ball.
David came into the team at the start of this year, being eligible for the side because he is starting high school this year. He has shown maturity beyond his years at the crease, opening the batting with an average of 29.75 over his first seven games.
Te Raimana was the man who guided GBHS to victory last weekend. They were 89-7 at one stage chasing 151 to win, and Te Raimana saw them home with an innings of 42 not out. Over his first seven games, he's been the most efficient bowler, in terms of average, and it's only a matter of time before he bags a big haul of wickets.
Coach Mal Trowell said his players were raring to go, while looking forward to Sunday's travel to play in their Super-8 competition.
“The boys are ready . . . our head is in the right space.”
Trowell knows it will be a battle if HSOB field a good team.
“You never know what to expect from HSOB, but we've just got have each individual perform and do it right.”
Horouta are rebuilding this season. They're looking to lift team morale and participation, but it's been hard as they've struggled all season to find runs.
Their captain, David Situ, shuffled the order around last weekend and it seemed to pay dividends. At the top of the order, Ben Brick fell just short of a half-century on 48, but no one stepped up to give him support and the rest of the team averaged five runs.
They have the personnel, but their key players have struggled to find form.
A lot of expectation lies with key players such as Keegan Martin and Situ, but — as the saying goes — pressure makes diamonds.
Situ said they'd had OBR's number in several close games this year, which would help give them confidence this weekend.
They beat OBR in the Doleman Cup and pushed them to the brink in the Walker Shield.
“OBR are always tough to face,” Situ said.
“It's never easy, and it's the same with every other team, regardless of how they've been doing.
“We're definitely past the fielding hump, but the big one is just batting. It's a big issue at the moment. Batting — and I include myself in this — hasn't been up to par.”
OBR have been the most consistent team this season. They rarely have a bad performance, and when individual players do have a poor game, the depth is there for that slack to be picked up by other players.
Ian Loffler has stepped aside from the captaincy to hand over the reins to the next generation. Cody Andrews will be skipper for the rest of the season.
Loffler said the team would be near full strength tomorrow . . . they had to play a man down last weekend due to players being unavailable.
“We're still a couple short with the long weekend, and Horouta will be tough, wanting to build on last week.
“We will look to rebound and get some points on the board.”
Loffler came back into the side this year, having previously retired from premier-grade cricket. He has proved he still has what it takes to hang with the young guns. He's been the team's best batsman in terms of overall performnce, and he's handy with the ball. He has taken 11 wickets across seven games with an economy rate of just 3.38 runs an over.
