Valuable experience gained as rain has last say

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

It's a trip they'll remember with feeling.

Despite losing five games and their last match against Upper Hutt being abandoned because of the weather, the Poverty Bay boys Year 7 team gained valuable experience at the Riverbend cricket camp.

Bay captain Nathaniel Fearnley won the toss and chose to field first against Upper Hutt on the grass pitch at Nelson Park in Hastings

Upper Hutt were impressive. Opener Lochlan Cameron (49), who was later named their Most Valuable Player, Zach Jefferys (45), Davy Beattie (42) and Riley Humphrey (21) all batted superbly in a total of 227 for six wickets from their 30 overs.

Jefferys and Cameron put on a 109-run stand finally broken three balls into the 16th over by spinner Riker Rolls (1 for 14 off 2 overs).

Medium pacers Tom Rouse (1-22 off 4), Connor Starck (1-24 off 4) and Ollie Egan (1-33 off 2) were Poverty Bay's other successful bowlers.

In response to Upper Hutt's big total, the Andrew Scott-coached PB were 92-3 after 16 overs when rain stopped play,

Poverty Bay No.3 Taye McGuinness hit three boundaries in his 25-ball 23 not out — a fine innings — and was in the middle with Egan (11 off 10 balls) when the rain came.

“The Poverty Bay team were great strikers of the ball,” said Upper Hutt coach Dinesh Asthana.

“It's a shame the rain set in as their batsmen were starting to play their shots and put pressure on us.

“Had the game continued, we would have had a fight on our hand.

“Poverty Bay's sportsmanship and team spirit was certainly the best we saw or encountered in the whole tournament.”