By AMIE RICHARDSON
It's just not cricket - well, not the kind that drew big crowds to the one-day international in Dunedin yesterday.
With puffing cheeks, waving arms and furious whistle blasts, Soney Muipu led his team in a celebrational dance after they won the boys' title in the 13th annual Milo
Auckland Secondary Schools Senior Kilikiti tournament yesterday.
Muipu's school, De La Salle College, successfully defended their Senior Boys A title, as did McAuley High School in the Senior Girls A competition.
A cross between cricket and a colourful dance, kilikiti has similar rules to the white-flannelled affair but with 20 players per side dressed in lava lavas, a rubber ball and a pake or three-sided cricket bat.
And to keep the game fast - and the batters guessing - the bowlers are allowed to run in from either end of the wicket.
After runs are scored or a wicket is taken, the team whistle-blower leads their players in a triumphant dance.
The first batting team plays for 25 minutes, then the opposition side plays the same number of balls bowled.
Event organiser Lara Collins said they had to turn away 10 teams this year as there was only enough room for 51 teams to play on the 19 fields.
She has organised the senior competition for six years and says the tournament is hugely exciting because there is nothing like it anywhere else in the country.
About 1100 students took part in the tournament.
Before the end of the day De La Salle College was confident about retaining its title.
Muipu, 18, whose dance moves kept the spectators entertained, said everything was completely spontaneous.
"I just make it up on the spot. You just do whatever comes to your mind."
Players from Epsom Girls Grammar were just as excited to be representing their school.
Team member Michelle Fraser, 16, said it was a great side because it was so culturally mixed.
"We're not just all Samoan, but multicultural. We just keep getting better and better and better."
Lynfield College won the Senior Boys B title and Marcellin College the Senior Girls B competition.
The junior kilikiti tournament will be held in November.
