Three High School Old Boys players suspended

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

CRICKET

Key High School Old Boys players will be out of action after receiving suspensions following their game against Gisborne Boys’ High School last weekend.

Jak Rowe and Scott Tallott have been stood down for two weeks for Level 2 offences, while Baxter Mackay will miss one game for his role.

The issue arose when fast bowler Rowe appealed for a caught-behind decision against GBHS captain Nathan Trowell.

The umpire’s finger stayed down and Trowell stayed at his crease. Wicketkeeper Tallott, who had taken the ball behind the stumps, used unsavoury language when urging the batsman to walk.

When Rowe eventually took Trowell’s wicket in the ninth over with a leg-before-wicket decision, he ran down the pitch and celebrated in his face.

Another incident, where Tallott was batting and hit a boundary, was also part of the judiciary process.

Tallott had hit a ball towards the onside boundary, and the ball beat the outstretched arm of the GBHS fielder, who hung his head in his hands as he lay outstretched on the ground.

As the HSOB players were continuing to run between the wickets, Tallott swore at the player, telling him to signal if the ball had crossed the boundary for a four.

Poverty Bay Cricket Association operations manager Nicholas Hendrie said the cricket association had spent the winter creating a 32-page code of conduct with Northern Districts.

During a pre-season meeting, teams were told by the association that they would be “laying down the law” if there were any offences.

He said parents shouldn’t have to hear their children being abused when they came to watch them play cricket.