Whanganui Year 6A rep cricket side win four, lose two at annual Hawkes Bay Camp in Napier

The Ray White Whanganui Year 6A cricket X1 returned home triumphant from the annual Hawkes Bay Camp in Napier last week with four wins and two losses, one a particularly close encounter.

While the cricket camp is more about development than wins on the board, success always breeds confidence.

Coach Mark Lithgow said the got off to the perfect start by dismantling Central Hawkes Bay in the first of six matches.

Central Hawkes Bay batted first and were in big trouble early with some good line and length bowling. They ended up 73 all out. Ryan Meredith 2-1, Jimmy Lithgow 2-6 and Josh Keenan 2-11 were chief destroyers.

"Our batters made short work of the total with Riley Somerville blazing 30 retired," Lithgow said.

"The second game was against Havelock North, we batted first and made our way to a solid 103-7 with Diego Coleman getting 31. Our bowlers fought well to restrict Havelock, but they managed to get the total 8 wickets down in a close one. Best Bowlers were Coleman with 2-19 and Lithgow with 2-8."

Next Whanganui faced Auckland University Club.

"We batted first and all batsman were in pretty good form as we made 159. Sommerville 33, Logan McKerras 36 and Angus Allpress 31 all hit the ball well. The bowlers put University under extreme pressure early and they never really recovered making 136-7, the wickets being shared around."

Facing Western Bay of Plenty was the next challenge and they were an excellent side making 155.

"Hunter Lithgow bowled a great line and length and Aiden Muir bowled some lovely leg spin. We replied with 109-8. Coleman once again stood out with 36 hard hit runs. We played Taradale next, batted first and stroked the ball to all parts of the park.

"Ryan Meredith dominated with a fluent 36, the team making 185-9. Our bowlers didn't give them a sniff at all. William Revell bowled some fantastic left arm pace getting 3-24 with Hamish Cranstone cleaning them up with 4-10, including 2 wickets off his last 2 balls. Taradale ended on 97.

"Our final match was against another Havelock team and we bowled first rolling them for 95. Cranstone got a wicket with his first ball to get a hatrick across two games, finishing with 2-0. He also managed to track down Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami and get him to sign the ball, a great momento.

All in all we had four wins, lost a close one and a loss, a pretty good week for Whanganui's Year 6A team," Lithgow said.