OBR skipper Matthew Cook won the toss and elected to bowl on HBR No 3.
GBHS were bowled out for 176 in 33.3 overs, vice-captain Bekko Page contributing a vaulable 25 off 29 balls at No 6 and Keanu making his highest score, a lively knock of 21 in 24 balls from No 9.
“We bowled well,” Cook said. “Medium-pacer Jonah Reynolds (one wicket for 30 runs off seven overs, including one maiden) and his younger brother and leg-spinner Harvey (1-5 off two) in particular, though Boys’ High played attacking cricket with the bat and scored quickly.
“Zyden hit the ball cleanly and the two chances he gave weren’t easy. For us, offie Daniel Stewart (2-13 off seven with three maidens) took two catches and ran out GBHS captain Riker Rolls (a seven-ball duck as eighth man in) at the non-striker’s end with a direct hit from mid-on.
“But in the run chase, we lost wickets each time we looked like building a partnership. Alex Shanks has a good slower ball.”
Shanks, at first change after the left-arm swing of Caleb Taewa bowled opener Travis O’Rourke for a royal duck, took 3-17 off five while lively spearhead Page claimed 4-29 in 5.3 overs.
Umpire Stewart Patrick gave Cook out leg before wicket, the only lbw of the match, for a golden duck to close the innings at 86 in the 34th over.
Worsnop has always hit the ball hard. He made the OBR bowlers pay dearly for almost every short ball they served up.
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Steve Lamb has always been a capable all-round cricketer.
Lamb took 2-32 in eight overs of swing bowling against Horouta, then saw HSOB home with his unbeaten 73.
HSOB beat Te Waka with 15.5 overs left on HBR No 1 on the back of Lamb’s swashbuckling exploits (12 fours and one six) for their third consecutive Doleman Cup win.
Dave Castle won the toss, chose to bowl and his outfit knocked Te Waka over for 170.
Carl Shaw (4-17 off seven overs) broke an opening stand of 60 between Harmanpreet Singh Gill (26) and Teghbir Cheema (26) when umpire Jason Trowill gave Gill out lbw one ball into the eighth over.
Horouta were in good shape but two overs later – with the score at 66 – Shaw had brutal hitter Cheema caught by Nicholas Armour. They lost their next three wickets for 13 runs and were all out in 34.2 overs.
Left-arm paceman Keegan Jooste (2-36 off seven) shared the new ball with Lamb to provide a fruitful contrast in line, length and control.
Castle (16) was the first man to fall in the chase, bowled by Jatinder Kumar (1-22-4) off the first ball of the 10th over.
The right-hand, left-hand opening combo of Castle and Shaw – like their Horouta counterparts – put on 60.
Work commitments had Shaw retire on 39, but Lamb and Taye McGuinness (18 from 33) continued the momentum with a 49-run partnership.
Gill (1-30-4) dismissed McGuinness (caught and bowled) with the score at 109.
Lamb was joined by the experienced Glen Udall (nine not out) and they carried HSOB through to victory in the 25th over.
“We had excellent periods where we bowled full and tight, but also periods of poor bowling,” said Castle, who six overs into the match joined Armour on the list of HSOB players to incur a shoulder injury.
“Carl’s 4-17 was really a credit to his execution of a simple plan.
“Taye was good again and it was great to see our senior statesman, Glen, get us through to the end with Steve, who stood atop the pile with the bat.
“Playing in his unconventional style with his incredible eye and power, in that 73 off 35 he plundered all who tried to tame him. It was actually a tiny bit slow, considering that his strike rate is normally 300-plus.”
