Cricket: Players and clubs align

Collegiate's Henry Kilmister (left), WHS' Jordan Candish and United's Freddie Wilson align to launch the new Wanganui Chronicle Secondary School Cup tournament at Victoria Park on Wednesday.

School and cricket clubs aligned at Victoria Park yesterday to launch an initiative to stem the flow of teenagers leaving the sporting code.

Six schools from the region competed at the inaugural Cricket Wanganui T20 tournament on the Tasman Tanning grass pitches on Wednesay day for the chance to win the Wanganui Chronicle Secondary Schools Cup.

The schools included the 1st X1 from Whanganui High School, Whanganui City College, Cullinane College, Rangitikei College and Feilding High and the Wanganui Collegiate 2nd X1.

The Collegiate seconds won that tussle after beating Feilding firsts in the final by 63 runs.

Collegiate scored 113 runs in their alloted overs, while in reply Feilding could only muster 50 runs all out.

The aim was to promote an annual T20 tournament for secondary school teams that do not have teams in the Cricket Wanganui Premier 1 Men's Competition. It was also to compliment Term 1's league format with a knock out style tournament in Term 4.

Dilan Raj from Cricket Wanganui said the initiative was designed to help form a relationship between students and clubs.

"Traditionally the first age group to start leaving cricket is the Year 8 to Year 9 students, but the biggest exit is from the Year 10 to Year 11 15 and 16-year-olds," Raj said.

"We have purposely timed the tournament three weeks out from end of year study time
when school teams don't play. They also don't play from December through to January which it is the busiest time for cricket.

"We have club representatives on hand umpiring the matches giving them a chance to promote their various clubs and create a relationship with students who may otherwise leave the sport," Raj said.