Talented teenager happy to let bat do talking

Cricket

Rotorua Boys High School cricketer Mikaere Watene is the type of teenager who lets his bat do the talking for him.

The shy 14-year-old is one of several Boys High students who are starting to make a name for themselves in the Rotorua reserve grade cricket competition.

Watene, a right-handed top-order batsman, has been named in the Northern Districts under-15 development squad.

The Year 10 student has been playing cricket for the past couple of seasons and told The Daily Post he prefers to do his talking on the field. "I like batting. I like to go out there and try and slog it to the boundary."

His side had an impressive win over their Western Heights High School counterparts at Rotorua Boys High School at the weekend.

Although the score suggests it was a one-sided affair, with Boys High setting a target of 181 and Heights being bowled out for 61 in the 23rd over, it was anything but, with both sides showing plenty of grit throughout the entire match.

Watene didn't get amongst the runs at the weekend, scoring just eight, but he hung around long enough to help his captain Shaquille Graham settle and go on to make a well-hit 76.

Graham's half century was helped along with a quick-fire 20 by fast bowler Chance Perham, who in the second innings went on to demolish Western Heights' batting line up with an impressive 6/17 from seven overs.

With Boys High looking as if they could go on to score somewhere in the region of 220, it took some tight bowling from Heights bowlers S Dunn 3/34 and Brad Munro 2/31 and captain John Burrows' field settings to help restrict the home side to 181.

The target was achievable with a fast and long outfield but it would require Heights to build an innings through pushing the ball into gaps.

Opening batsman Travis Cornwall, a nuggety left-handed batsman, looked to try to do this but unfortunately thanks to some superb bowling from Chance and Hamesh Gosai, 3/20 off seven overs, Cornwall couldn't get any partnerships going with five of their batsman scoring ducks.

In the other matches in the round, Geyser City's losing streak continues. After being bowled out for 87 in 26.3 overs, Taupo managed to reach the total in the 14th over for the loss of one wicket.

While John Paul College beat Taupo College, setting a target of 169/8 in their allotted overs, the visitors bowled out Taupo for 102.

Central continue to lead the table after Bay of Plenty Indians defaulted their weekend match.

Results:

Rotorua Boys' High School; 181 (S Graham 76, C Perham 20; C Perham 6/17, H Gosai 3/20) beat Western Heights' High School; 61 (T Cornwall 34; S Dunn 3/34, B Munro 2/31).

John Paul College; 169 (M Ranchod 47; M Rigter 4/ 13, L Kelly 2/18) beat Taupo College 102 (G Dawson 28; J McNeish-Hastings 3/25, L Kelly 2/19).

Taupo Wanderers; 88 (R How 53; A How 3/10, R How 3/15) beat Geyser City; 87 (L McKnight 23).

Points table: Central 18, John Paul College 12, Rotorua Boys' High School 12, Taupo Wanderers 12, Bay of Plenty Indians 6, Taupo College 6, Western Heights High School, Geyser City 0.