Welcome back Robbie - 85no in another HSOB win

On the attack: HSOB's Robbie Tallott cuts the ball into the offside in front of Pirates wicketkeeper Tom Needham. Tallott cracked 85 not out as competition leaders HSOB comfortably disposed of the Buccaneers by 101 runs in the Doleman Cup fixture at Harry Barker Reserve. Picture by Paul Rickard

CRICKET

ROBBIE Tallott announced his return to Poverty Bay club cricket with an unbeaten 85 as High School Old Boys continued their winning run in the Doleman Cup at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday.

Tallott, in his first game here since returning home from Otago University, hit 11 fours in Bollywood Stars HSOB’s total of 220 against Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates.

HSOB dismissed Pirates for 119, with Parminder Kulaar the chief destroyer with figures of six wickets for 18 runs off 6.2 overs.

Unbeaten HSOB lead the competition with 14 points, four ahead of defending champions Bain Construction OBR, who inflicted a nine-wicket defeat on Gisborne Boys’ High School.

There is one round to go before the semifinals.

HSOB put on a 56-run opening stand before left-arm spinner Matt Crampton struck twice, including the dangerous Carl Shaw (27), caught by Richie Needham, with the score at 74.

Crampton maintained his early season form to take the third wicket, bowling fellow South African Bruce Kerr (24) with Pirates on 93.

Talya Hollis chipped in with the wickets of Scott Tallott and Glen Udall, with assistance from Sam Patterson and Crampton, and Baxter Mackay mopped up the tail to finish with 3-22.

But there was no removing Tallott, who, on this form, has made HSOB even stronger contenders for the title.

Pirates lost three wickets for 35 runs, leaving skipper Dane Thompson and Crampton to rebuild the innings with a 48-run stand.

Kulaar broke the partnership when he bowled Crampton for 13. He then knocked over the stumps of Thompson (38).

Patterson wagged the tail with 21 off 28 balls only to become another Kulaar victim.

OBR rolled Boys’ High for 107 and were never troubled in their chase.

An opening stand of 40 from Kieran Venema and Craig Christophers came to an end when Venema (17) was bowled by Jacob Colbert.

Christophers and Timoti Weir then joined forces for an unbroken partnership of 68.

While Christophers, with 32 of 41 balls, was content to steadily construct his innings, Weir took the direct route. He hammered one six and six fours on his way to 41 from 29 deliveries.

Christophers and fellow senior team member Ian Loffler earlier led the OBR attack — Christophers bagging 4-12 and Loffler 3-15 in what one teammate described as “awesome bowling”.