Wins to Ngatapa, Gisborne HSOB Presidents in Poverty Bay Senior B club cricket openers

The Poverty Bay Senior B T20 competition got under way at Harry Barker Reserve last weekend with Ngatapa and HSOB Presidents victorious.

Ngatapa Pioneer Green Caps won’t be giving up their Poverty Bay Senior B club cricket crowns without a fight.

The Charles Morrison-led Ngatapa, who won the T20 and Hope Cup 30-over championships last season, began their latest T20 campaign on Saturday with a 38-run win over Moshim’s Spice Horouta Presidents.

Morrison won the toss on Harry Barker Reserve 4, chose to bat first and hit 13 boundaries in his 60-ball knock of 82 as opener – the highest individual score in Poverty Bay senior cricket on opening day.

He and Brent Gallagher (41 not out) put on 130 for the second wicket in a total of 3-142.

Horouta opening bowler Yash Taak took 2-18 off four overs, including the prize wicket of Morrison, caught by Stanley Blake.

Blake, who batted at five in the run chase, made 22 from 44 balls as The Waka got to 7-104.

He was stumped by Morrison off the medium pace bowling of George Whitehead, who swung and seamed the ball both ways in his 3-15 off three overs.

Anish Shivdikar took 2-13 off three as Ngatapa’s bowlers backed up a sterling effort by their top-order batsmen.

Horouta have the personnel and willingness to improve, but the winning of this game was down to a genuine captain’s knock.

Bollywood High School Old Boys Presidents graft hard.

Three of the Blue and Whites’ best got into the 20s – Glen Udall 28, Matt Jefferd 25 and Jeff Chambers 20 – in a total of 4-121 after being put in to bat on the No 2 ground by Gisborne Boys’ High School Second XI captain Kobe Donnelly.

The Presidents won the game by 37 runs.

Adult guest player Ryan Jones (25) and left-handed opener Pranash Senthooran (22) were the best of a Boys’ High batting line-up dismissed for 84 in 19.3 overs.

Earlier, GBHS medium pacer Callum McInnes took 2-12 off two overs and off-spinner Donnelly had opener Udall – the grade’s most experienced player – stumped by Jack Williams, a great piece of cricket.

New-ball menace Raffaele Colucci impressed for GBHS, as did Presidents off-spinner Jackson Donovan-Monteith.

Donovan-Monteith, Blake McMillan and Brad Clark – all capable age-group players – made a quality return to cricket.

Donovan-Monteith was a brilliant off-spinner and has lost none of his skill in flighting the ball.

In round 2 this Saturday from 2pm, Ngatapa face GBHS and HSOB are up against Horouta.