Three teams each win opening two games

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HIGH School Old Boys, OBR and Gisborne Boys’ High School all recorded two wins in the opening round of the Walker Shield Twenty20 cricket double-headers at Harry Barker Reserve yesterday,

Bollywood HSOB beat Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates and Coastal Ultrasound Horouta. Bain Construction OBR defeated Horouta and Campion, while Boys’ High started their season with victories over Campion and Pirates.

HSOB batsmen Carl Shaw and Scott Tallott were the top-scorers in their 52-run win against Pirates. Shaw led the charge with 38, and received support from his skipper Tallott, who hit 23 as HSOB posted 136-7. They dismissed Pirates for 84.

Shaw and Tallott backed up that performance with unbeaten knocks of 34 and 50 respectively in their second game, against Horouta. Batting first, Horouta scored 114-7. All-rounder Vaughan Thompson scored 32 not out and club captain Greg Taylor scored 30. Brett Armour was the best of the HSOB bowlers, taking four wickets for 11 runs.

Shaw and Matt Jefferd gave HSOB a brisk start to the chase. They put on 28 runs off three overs before Jefferd was caught behind by Bryan Forde off the bowling of Mel Knight for 19. Tallott joined Shaw at the crease and they were still there at the end when Tallott, who thumped seven fours and a six, split the boundary to take HSOB to 117-1.

Boys’ High medium-pace bowler Peter Kapene ripped through the Campion batting to finish with 4-9 and Campion were all out for 54. Boys’ High were made to work harder for their second win, against Pirates. Chasing 95 to win after restricting Pirates to 94-5, Boys’ High were 24-3 after eight overs.

Robert Schwass then took the attack to the bowlers, scoring 33. When he departed, Year 10 student Matt McNeil (18no) and Y11 student Jacob Colbert (19no) completed the job. Boys’ High coach Ben O’Brien-Leaf said vice-captain Paul Stewart did a superb job in the absence of Drew Scott, who did not play in this match.

“Paul set some great fields and organised the team well,” O’Brien-Leaf said.

OBR batted first against Horouta and scored 115-5. Openers Craig Christopher (49) and Kieran Venema (35) set the platform. Skipper Jonathan Purcell said wickets were shared as Horouta were restricted to 93-9. Jimmy Holden was the chief destroyer in the next game, when Campion were all out for 21, Holden capturing 8-7.

“It was good to get the season under way,” Purcell said. “We’ve had only one practice session, so it was good to get two wins.”