College Sport: Young golfers have chance to learn from best

King's bowler Michael Haddleton in action against Westlake Boys' High. Photo / Richard Robinson

GOLF

Some of New Zealand's best young golfers could get the chance to learn from one of the best when they play next year's World Schools Golf Challenge at Moonah Links, Melbourne.

Vintage Sport and Leisure said this week that world No 8, Australian Adam Scott, has agreed to be the ambassador for the 2012 WSG and for future events. The challenge provides a unique blend of competitive team golf for young golfers from around the world and international educational opportunities.

The 2011 challenge involved 46 teams from seven countries including New Zealand teams from Auckland Grammar School, Otago Boys High and Otumoetai College. All played with distinction.

April's tournament will be played on the course which has twice hosted the Australian Open. St Andrews Beach and Eagleridge courses will also be used.

There is still the opportunity to enter the Melbourne event. Registration can be undertaken by contacting the World Schools Golf Challenge Office (09-4861644 or 02145844).

CRICKET

AUCKLAND: King's College wasted little time in wrapping up another two-day championship with a five-wicket win at home over WBHS.

The home side ended the first day with a 54-run lead with one wicket in hand. The innings was quickly wrapped up when Jordan Sussex took this wicket in the first over to finish with 4/38.

Facing a deficit of 55 runs, Westlake needed to bat well to score enough runs to allow a declaration in their chase for the outright win they required.

Although Robbie O'Donnell batted well for his 57 runs, the visitors needed a late flourish from Wesley Jarman, Sussex and Manaia Harris to allow them to declare at 194/7 and give King's something to chase.

Westlake started well in the field with an early wicket but Ben Horne (75) and Simon Hickey (40) then took the game away despite a late four-wicket haul from Max O'Dowd. King's went on to win with five wickets in hand.

At Auckland Grammar, St Kentigern knew they had to throw caution to the wind and an overnight declaration put the ball firmly in the AGS court.

James Parslow scored an unbeaten 68 in Grammar's second innings of 132 for five declared. That left St Kentigern to chase 238 for victory.

They finished six runs short.

Opener Devon Jones led the way with 69 and Nick Kelly's 43 gave them a great start. AGS opening bowler Ganesh RatNasabapathy then took centre stage, bagging 3-34 as both teams sensed victory.

Harry Lyford's half-century late in the innings kept St Kentigern hopes alive but the AGS skipper tossed the ball to man of the match Parslow who picked up the last three wickets, including two in his first over to finish with figures of 3-19 to end any St Kentigern hopes of the title.

Sacred Heart hung on by two wickets to avoid outright loss at home to Mt Albert Grammar. Chris Beck had earlier wrapped up the Sacred Heart first innings finishing with figures 5-41 as the home slumped to 105. There was no hesitation in sending Sacred Heart back out again. Good earlier seam bowling from Brett Randell, supported by the spin of Teja Nidamanuru, made inroads but the Sacred Heart defence stood strong and they made it to stumps with two wickets in hand.

In the two-day plate, Macleans finally picked up their first points of the split season after securing first innings points with a dominant batting display on day two of their home game with Rangitoto College.

It was not close at Avondale College where the home side lost by an innings against Rosmini. The visitors added 80 further runs before declaring as Alex Du Rand went on to reach 60.

Avondale, who managed only 62 in their first innings, fared only slightly better in their second in being dismissed for 77.

At St Peter's the seam bowling of Kelston's Travis Ngatai was too much for the home team's batting line-up as they collapsed to be all out for 98.

KBHS skipper Sean Chick aided by Shaneil Sharma's 38 quickly got Kelston to 89/1 before setting St Peter's a target. But Tem Hodson stood firm and they saw out the rest of the day by losing just two wickets.

WAIKATO: There were runs and wickets aplenty in round two action of the Waikato 1A championship.

Loose bowling and poor catching cost Cambridge HS their home match with St John's College.

After electing to bat first, St John's lost an early wicket when Jayden Purcell was dismissed in the sixth over. Sam Cooper and Brett Kennedy then forged a 109-run second-wicket partnership as Cambridge put down numerous chances.

With Cooper's departure just before the second drinks break, Cambridge began to tighten the screws but the damage had been done. St John's went on to compile 222 from their 50 overs. Nick Bateman was the pick of the home bowlers with 3-24 including the opportunity of a hat-trick.

In reply Cambridge found themselves mired at 65/4 in the 20th over. Jono Feast (50) and James Bateman (23 not out) provided the only real resistance. Both teams had come off round one victories as Hamilton BHS' development X1 travelled to play St Peter's School.

HBHS won the toss and chose to bat on a newly prepared grass pitch. They progressed to 30 before losing their first wicket.

HBHS were dismissed for 130 in the 48th over.

In reply, St Peter's made a solid start until Sam Pulis was removed for 18, and the total at 39. St Peter's reached 133 in the 29th over led by Doug Bradley (42).

Twenty wickets fell at Matamata College as St Paul's won a low-scoring affair by 28 runs.

Just one point separates the top five teams in the 1B competition after two rounds.

Away to Hamilton BHS's Emerging X1, Hillcrest High opted to bat first. Openers Heidi Arndt and Sam Christie scored 36 runs for the opening wicket. Josh Edwards then combined with Christie in a 105-run second wicket partnership. Christie and Edwards were out each side of a break in play for rain which brought Seb Curry (54) and Nigel Lim (84) together. They shared in a well-compiled 115-run partnership in a total of 334/5 from their 50 overs.

Albert Bannister was Hillcrest's best bowler with 4-9 off six overs as they cruised home by 258 runs.

It was closer at Fraser High where the home side failed by 40 runs to overhaul the target set by St Peters' 2nd X1 of 165.

Morrinsville turned in one of their better efforts to beat visiting Te Aroha College by 138 runs.

It was an excellent all-round effort from the home team led by an outstanding batting display from Jeremy Rout (147), Jake O'Connor (48) and Stuart Laurence (37). Te Aroha bowled well but were let down by some poor fielding.

Te Aroha began the chase encouragingly with good batting from Matt Hema, Ethan Roycroft and Kurt Sweeney. Liam Koch followed in the same vein but tight bowling and great fielding by Morrinsville led to an early end of the game as spinner Sandy Singh-Sandhu bagged 5-33.

MOUNTAINBIKING

Diocesan's Sammy Lane and Georgia Wilson snatched a well-earned gold in claiming the under-19 title at the NZ SS relay championships in Rotorua.

Diocesan managed seven laps of the course compared to second placegetters Feilding High, who completed six laps in the same time. Hamilton GHS were third with five laps.

Diocesan's relay win capped a successful year for Lane who won silver in the under-19 cross country and gold in the hillclimb at March's New Zealand SS national championships in Levin.