Cricket: Taradale bowler claims hattrick at Riverbend camp in Hastings

Josh Young, like his fellow Taradale teammates, had a bowling goal when he competed at the annual Riverbend Cricket Camp in Hawke's Bay last week.

His father/coach, Steve Young, had asked his son to claim six wickets during the year 6a competition.

Not only did the 10-year-old nail 11 scalps in six matches but he also claimed a hattrick of wickets.

"I was also the top bowler [highest wicket taker out of 144 bowlers in the year 6a grade] in the camp," says Young who represented the Napier year 6 side against Hastings counterparts this summer.

The right-arm offspinner claimed his hattrick of wickets against undefeated Western Bay of Plenty Gold on the first three balls of his third over, clean bowling No 7 batsman Jack Williamson for a run, and No 9 Jake Bell and No 10 Luke Scrimgeour in the 29th over at Windsor Park.

"I thought I'd just bowl again and try to get another out," says Young after he got his first scalp. He did.

Realising he was sitting on a hattrick, the Taradale team got everyone in closer for an attacking field and it worked wonders.

"I bowled him [third batsman] and there was screaming everywhere."

Young finished with the figures of three wickets for 10 runs off four overs against BOP Gold. He had an overall camp average of 5.73 and a strike rate of 11.64, going for 2.95 runs and over.

It did help soothe Young's nerves during the hattrick spell that he had claimed a hattrick two years ago for Napier Technical Old Boys (NTOB) team in the year 4-5 grade at the camp.

The Taradale Intermediate-bound pupil says it was disappointing they lost to BOP Gold and won only one match at the camp but was pleased he and other teammates had made incremental gains in their personal development and learned how to deal with pressure situations as a collective.

"My dad's a great coach. He used to play for Taradale," says the youngster who had takeaway burgers as a treat for dinner that night.

He claimed four wickets for 13 runs off 4.2 overs in the opening game against Auckland University Cricket Club last Wednesday.

■ Year 10-bound Napier Boys' High School pupil Baylee Foote also got on the camp honours board last week.

Foote scored a twenty20 century for NTOB against Manawatu in the year 9-10 grade last Thursday.

The 14-year-old right hander, coming in at No 2, scored 104 off 57 balls as NTOB won by nine wickets.

"I just took me helmet off and raised my bat," he says when asked if he celebrated on a typically balmy Bay day. "I then just went home and got a good sleep because it was our second T20 game of the day."

Foote spearheaded the run chase, helping overhaul Manawatu's dig of 143 from 20 overs after the latter won the toss and elected to bat on the artificial wicket at Park Island, Napier.

The NBHS First XI cricketer, who was competing in his fifth Riverbend camp, carved up his half-ton from 20-odd balls before going on to make his century which included 18 boundaries and a six.

Fellow NTOB opener Brad Busher scored 35 runs and Charlie Sanderson came in at first drop to tick over Foote with a few runs.

Accustomed to asking for middle and leg at No 3 or 4 in 50-over matches, Foote has no qualms about opening in T20s and it excites him that he can face new balls.

"I've always batted there [No 3-4] from a young age," says the batsmen who started playing at the age of 7.

"I used to enjoy coming in when the ball wasn't so new and putting pressure on the bowlers," says the former Nelson Primary School pupil.

His love for cricket comes from his family and grew in intensity when his friends got into it at school.

The Hawke's Bay under-15 representative has ambitions to play for the Central Districts Stags.