Wanganui Collegiate cricketers fall short in West Indies tour debut

The Wanganui Collegiate squad inspect the rock hard track that would ultimately be their downfall in their West Indies tour debut against a Princess Margaret School. PHOTO/Gilbert Hokianga

The Wanganui Collegiate development team fell 33 runs short of victory in the first match played on the history-making tour of the West Indies on Wednesday (NZ time).

The first match on the intinerary against Franklyn Stephenson Academy was a washout after heavy overnight rain in Barbados on New Year's Day, but Wednesday's conditions were the complete opposite at the Six Roads venue.

In the second match on the intineray, but the first game actually played, WCS bundled out a Princess Margaret School X1 for 146 runs in 37.4 overs on what was a rock hard track.

WCS tour manager Gilbert Hokianga described the pitch as being as hard as a road.

WCS co-captain Ben Kelt did the most damage with the ball in hand taking four wickets for just 23 runs in his 6.4 overs, which included two maidens.

Henry Kilmister chiped in with two wickets for five runs after five overs, while Hadleigh O'Leary has one for seven off seven overs including two maidens, Joseph Abernathy 1/21 off four, Joel Clark 1/40 off six and Bruce Donald 1/15 off three.

The side looked set for a reachable target in reply, but when opener George Meyer fell second ball for a duck, the downhill slide began.

Fellow opener Donald top scored for WCS with 21, followed by Clark on 18, O'Leary not out on 17 and Kelt and Kilmister 16 apiece. The rest of the batting line-up got ones, twos or ducks adding to the WCS woes.

The side were all out for 113 after 27.5 overs and the Warren Marr-coached team now look forward to redeeming themselves against a Carlton School X1 at Market Hill on Sunday New Zealand time.