Walsh's team will play in the Year 6 Black Grade from January 15 to 18. They will play six 30-over games.
Jeremy Castles has a team capable of playing fine cricket. If a team's fortunes pivot with those of its wicketkeeper, Charlie Castles' solidity stands the Bay in good stead.
Archer Allen can swing the ball at pace, Finn Robertson may be the most improved Poverty Bay player going to Hawke's Bay and skilful off-spinner Ted Gillies, like Castles junior, has Senior B club cricket experience.
Castles senior said: “Our aims for the boys include building partnerships and an innings when batting time, and good shot selection. We aim to minimise extras in the field and bowl consistent line and length.
“More importantly, we want these kids to enjoy their cricket and have fun as a team while meeting kids from other regions.”
Daniel Williams has the Year 7 Strikers humming along in the build-up to their tourney.
In Conrad Parkes and Harvey Reynolds, he has leg-spin bowling top-order batsmen, the latter being able to share 'keepers' duties with No.1 gloveman Archie Gillies and Kobe Donnelly.
Returning player Taylor Kijowski brings invaluable experience, Raff Colucci can give the ball a crunch and Tom Coleman is effective wherever he bats.
James Redpath and William Edginton are medium-pace bowlers of note to back up Patrick McInnes and Jack Williams, who will most likely share new-ball duties.
Grant Walsh's crew have worked harder and smarter to put the last touches on their fielding, bowling and batting skills at the Harry Barker Reserve during the past six days.
“Assistant coach David Milne and I have three things as our main points: bowling-wise, attack the stumps; batting-wise, defend the good ball and hit the bad ball.”
This type of straightforward approach keeps young players' minds uncluttered and improves their chances of doing the basics well. A natural batsman such as Jack Roberts can play his shots, a promising pace bowler such as Nathan Putter will pitch the ball up and a budding wicketkeeper such as Arthur Cave is able to watch the return-throw into his gloves.
The Riverbend Camps began in 1979 under former teacher and founding member of the Cornwall Cricket Club Ray Mettrick, the mention of whose name even now evokes memories of mischievous players being given extra jobs if found in breach after lights out.
Before Hawke's Bay Cricket assumed responsibility for the running of the annual camps in 2001, Riverbend was a great part of many Gisborne families' holiday plans.
Poverty Bay produced many good teams: Fiona Carmody's sons Carl and Shaun both played in the era of coaches such as Don Wright and Peter Macpherson, whose ability to build teams is remembered by many.
“I enjoyed being camp mother and I was always lucky to be there for the whole trip and every night the organisers would announce the results and achievements of the day,” Fiona Carmody said.
“Going to all of the different grounds around Hawke's Bay, the family friendships formed and barbecues — that stuff was as good as the cricket.”
To this day, cricketers in teams coached by Patrick McHugh recall their team spirit and experience, as much as the details of matches they played.
David McDonald, Poverty Bay and New Zealand's first community cricket co-ordinator and now a member of the board of Poverty Bay Cricket, selected, saw and worked with many top players-to-be during his time in the co-ordinator's role.
“Those camps were and are absolutely critical in terms of engaging players, coaches and parents,” he said.
“In the early 2000s, we had two teams in Year 4-5, 6, 7, 8 and occasionally one in Year 9-10, following the 10-week winter programme we used to hold at the A and P Showgrounds Event Centre and Gisborne Girls' High School gymnasium.
“We need as many teams to go as we can send because of attrition and the fact that our kids will play good cricket against out-of-district teams from far and wide.
“Many Black Caps — Jesse Ryder was one — played at that tourney in a semi-competitive atmosphere.
“From it we established links with Ray Mettrick's Cornwall, Napier-Tech under Hawke's Bay Cricket president and International Cricket Council medallist Harry Findlay and Taradale's legendary life members the late Ian and Richard Atkins, and often those clubs came here in February-March.”
Riverbend and the Hawke's Bay Cricket Camps have always been about more than just playing quality cricket. Ever a feature were managers warning players about the potential lethality of pillowfights, and coaches making a deathly quiet room the prerequisite to selection — with mum-sentries sitting in for half an hour.
But Poverty Bay teams still always had more fun on and off the field than the others.
