Age group cricket action

CAPPED: Canadian age group international Akash Gill receives his Wanganui U17 representative cap from Kiwi cricketing legend Mark Greatbatch.

The Anndion Lodge Wanganui women's cricket team has won the Copeland Trophy after beating Wairarapa in round three of the Shrimpton Trophy series at Victoria Park.

The Copeland is a challenge trophy contested during the wider Shrimpton series. The fina round of that series is in late January.

Played on Tasman Tanning No1, the Anndion Lodge women lead by Jessica Watkin put on a dominant bowling display to bundle out Wairarapa cheaply to post a 9-wicket victory.
Wairarapa lead by former Wanganui captain and Netherlands international, Esther Lanser had beaten competition favourites Hawkes Bay the week before. With Hinds player, Michelle Bunkall joining the Wanganui squad, Wanganui achieved the total for the loss of former skipper Michelle Mitchell.

Meanwhile, Canadian age group international Akash Gill was presented his Wanganui representative cap last week by Kiwi cricketing legend Mark Greatbatch ahead of this week's Central Districts tournament in Napier.

Greatbatch's son Charlie is also in the Ray White Wanganui U17 squad at the tournament designed to name a CD U17 team to play the nationals and to find a district winner.

Also in the Wanganui team is Connor O'Leary who is in the running to make the CD team for the second year on end.

O'Leary was in the CD team that finished second to Canterbury last season.
CD won the national tournament in 2014 and last year coaching was taken over by Cricket Wanganui development officer Dilan Raj, who will coach the squad again this season.

The national tournament is scheduled to be played at Lincoln in Christchurch on January 13-23.

After three home warm-up games last week and two comprehensive wins against Manawatu and Taranaki - the Ray White U17s came unstuck on Monday in their first tournament game against Taranaki. They were to play Horowhenua-Kapiti yesterday.

In other Ray White age group action the U15 team coached by Mark Godfrey and Jason Clark won their first game at CD tournament in Levin on Monday. They were to play Manawatu yesterday.

At home at Victoria Park the U12 side beat Horowhenua-Kapiti, while the U13 team went down to Manawatu.

Ray White U12 v Horowhenua Kapiti U12
The Ray White U12s Wanganui won the toss and elected to bat first on Tasman Tanning Number 4.
George Pearce and Daniel Burgess opening partnership of 34 set a solid platform for Carter Hobbs (52 not out) and Burgess (50 not out) to continue with a superb 100 run partnership. This was to get Wanganui through to great position with around 15 overs to play.

At 134 - 1 and 15 overs left, this allowed the other batsmen the freedom to play their shots and Blake Hoskins big hitting 50 came off 38 balls with 3 large sixes. Wanganui 236 - 4 in 40 overs.

Tom Wilkinson-Smith and Josh Allpress opened the bowling attacking and after 8 overs HK were 4 for 12.

Hoskins continued his magic day after drinks with 2 quick wickets and finished with 2-3 off 3 overs. Wilkson-Smith 3 - 11. Josh Allpress 3-10 earning Wanganui a massive 129 win. Coach Lindsay Hobbs complimented his team on a good all round performance especially with the maturity his batsmen showed to compile a big total at this age.

Ray White CW U13s Vs Manawatu U13s
An inexperienced Wanganui Under 13 side came up against a strong Manawatu team last Sunday in a 40 over fixture on Tasman Tanning 3. Manawatu won the crucial toss and elected to bat.

The Wanganui opening bowlers Adam Beard and Shaun O'Leary bowled well initially but could affect a breakthrough until Andrew Dickson came on and took two quick wickets to reduce the batting team to 52 for 3 after 16 overs. Manawatu 185 for 8 of 40 overs. Andrew Dickson 3 for 29 from 8 overs.

Wanganui's batting struggled against the accurate Manawatu bowlers with only Zane Munn (41)countering the bowlers. Wanganui folded against spin and were 95 all out.
Coach Mark Dickson was impressed with a number of areas but the side will be putting in a lot of work around their bowling and ability to play spin before the head off to tournament.

The annual McDonalds Kiwi Cricket Tournament was won by perennial favourites Wanganui East coached by Jess Watkin after they beat St Johns Hill School in the final.