Magic moments aside, the college's teacher-in-charge of cricket Mark Naden pointed out Wednesday night's big selling point: “This competition gives our kids a chance to play among friends in a safe, happy environment and get new players involved in the game.”
Wilson will not turn out for The Admiralty today, but such is the burgeoning popularity of The Challenge Cup that — the Junior Colts league having concluded — twins Johnathan and Marcus Gray will join forces with fellow Sonrise Christian School Y8 stand-out Jonah Reynolds in The Life Guards.
The Blues and Royals have promising young all-rounders in Ben Langford and Taylor Scott. Scott bowls a very good line around off-stump, and left-arm orthodox spinner Riker Rolls is fast gaining a reputation for pinpoint accuracy.
The Admiralty's Daniel Watts made 64 against Campion Gold a fortnight ago, and is a batsman and cricketer whose game-sense has grown markedly in the last 12 months. He and George Gillies, who looked every inch the opener in the Boys' High Colts' first game against Napier BHS away last week, could do with scores of consequence heading into the exchange with Hastings BHS here this Sunday-Monday.
The Life Guards-TWCC match should be good to watch. The girls won their first game after Christmas by six wickets against a depleted Admiralty, whose captain-keeper Alex Shanks fractured his right thumb in two places shortly before the Challenge Cup resumed. The Life Guards are led by David Gray, whose high action and in-swing will test even the TWCC's Northern Districts (Grace Levy) and New Zealand u19 players (Kayley Knight).
