Teams set to go in Challenge Cup

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

Challenge Cup cricket fever has broken out at Gisborne Boys' High School and Campion College.

Add the powerful Tairawhiti Women's Cricket Club to the mix, and the six-team T20 competition is set to go at the Harry Barker Reserve tomorrow from 3.30pm.

Northern Spirit and Northern Districts under-19 seamer Kayley Knight, who led TWCC in the Challenge Cup before Christmas, took 1-22 in seven overs against the NZ Police at Christchurch's Burnside Park yesterday. Knight can't make the Challenge Cup season opener but ND teammates Rubi Perano and Grace Levy will ensure that TWCC are more than competitive tomorrow.

TWCC face the Campion Nobles on Harry Barker Reserve No.2 in Round 1.

The Nobles' pace attack features Philburgh Viljoen and Rhys Grogan. Grogan bowled two maidens in an excellent spell of 1-15 off six overs in Campion's five-wicket loss to Horouta in the Hope Cup on Saturday.

In batsman Reuben Swanepoel, the Nobles have a striker of the ball just as comfortable on the back foot as on the front.

The Campion Knights, who will play the GBHS Blues and Royals on HBR 4, will benefit greatly from the leadership and ability of the competition's most experienced cricketer in Year 13 student Liam Spring.

Poverty Bay senior secondary schools wicketkeeper Spring and a talented pair of young swing bowlers in Taye McGuinness and Connor Starck make the Knights dangerous. Spring made 56 in Campion's 19-run win against the Blues and Royals before Christmas, while Hamish Swann continues his progress as an all-rounder.

The B and R under Kelan Bryant are the youngest of the three GBHS teams. An injury to Gareth Langford (right shoulder) means that, for the moment, Noah Torrance-Cribb is their only Year 11 player, although they have promise in their Y9 ranks with four Poverty Bay Y8 representatives. Those include a tigerish left-arm spin bowler and keen student of the game in Riker Rolls.

The Boys' High derby match on HBR 3 pits the Admiralty against the Life Guards.

Both captains are out: the Guards' David Gray is away on school camp but his brothers Te-Reimana, Jonathan and Marcus are ready to link arms with — among others — a deceptive leg-spinner in Dylan Foster and hefty left-hander Jarrod Ormiston.

Admiralty skipper Alex Shanks hurt his left thumb behind the stumps in the seven-wicket loss by GBHS (2) to OBR on Saturday, but Sebastian Wilson, Lukas Fry and Daniel Watts have the maturity to pick up the slack.

The quality of players and teams will make the Challenge Cup an intriguing feature for the next five weeks.

The Poverty Bay Cricket Association has made a brilliant move for the good of the game by allowing the inclusion of experienced quality players and up-and-coming tearaways. The teams have the chance to play weekly on good grass pitches, with outfields that are among the fastest in the country.