Rising stars all smiles as tournament and gifts wrap up season
The junior inter-school cricket competition concluded in Kaitaia on Saturday morning with smiles all round as each of the youngsters involved were left with some mementos of the summer season.
The finale of the competition was played in two venues with the juniors (i.e. Year 4-6) at Arnold Rae Park, and the intermediate Year 7-9 players donning pads and using proper, hard cricket balls at Kaitaia Intermediate.
Tournament organiser Peter Barnett said he had always wanted to make sure as many kids as possible - particularly those enthusiasts who had turned up every week since the season began late last year - went home with something.
"You know the biggest thing for me was seeing the kids' eyes light up when they got a prize like a soccer ball or a cricket set. Even if it was just a certificate."
The local cricket crusader particularly acknowledged the sponsorship received from various businesses in providing prizes and said a number of parents had been really supportive and generous with their time and resources to back his attempts to reinvigorate cricket in the area. On top of his list were Chris and Kristy Hilton Jones ("she's just been a legend"), Gary Steed, Brendon Morrissey, Hal Walker, Shane Pika McDonald, Peter Currie and Kapi Murray among others.
The group had obviously formed a close-knit friendship during the season and bowed out with an informal barbecue at the intermediate on Saturday afternoon.
Informal discussion at the gathering acknowledged there was still plenty of work to do to boost numbers, increase awareness and participation in the code and make next season bigger and better.
The major prizewinners for the summer included most improved player awards for Jayden Murray, Jadicus Faneva in the juniors and Damia Feisst in the intermediates. Others acknowledged for their various attributes including for progress, tenacity and attitude were Jamin Fletcher, Paige Hall, and Anaru Murphy and Victoria Walters Price (each getting a flash cricket set); Keelay MacDonald and Harrison Wagstaff (shiny blue footballs); the Hilton Jones boys, Jamie and Oliver (rugby ball); and Jamin Fletcher, Cody Hall, Tamati Hall, D'Arjae Gemmell and Shontelle Walters (all scored a pair of NCA shorts). Everyone who took part received a certificate and fast food voucher.
Meanwhile in senior news, the next men's game, Honeymoon Valley vs Mangonui, was scheduled to be played on Easter Sunday; while the final deciding game for the Far North T20 competition between Mangonui vs Kerikeri (with each side recording a win apiece so far) was pencilled in for April 7, with the date to be confirmed.
Both junior and senior cricket programmes are run by Peter Barnett of the Far North Cricket Association under the umbrella of the Northland Cricket Association, and with the assistance of Sport Northland. His contact was (027) 726-2854.
See more junior cricket photos from Saturday on the Age website.