Surprise victory huge confidence boost

COMEBACK KINGS: The Huntley School First X1 (from back left) Anton Buys (coach), Zane Munn, Fynn Rowden-Poyzer, Jack Chrystall, Ollie Martelletti, Harvey Meyer, (middle) Shaun O'Leary, Alex Fannin, Lachlan Burke, Matthew Hocquard, Fred McVerry, (lying down) Henry Strang and Oscar McVerry, bundled out WIS for 16 runs to win the Pak'n Save Intermediate Cricket Tournament Weekend in Whanganui.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

THE Huntley School First X1 staged an amazing comeback to win the annual Pak'n Save Intermediate Cricket Tournament weekend in Whanganui.

The tournament also doubles as the Whanganui regional qualifying round for the National Active Post finals played in Christchurch at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval at Lincoln, where Huntley came third at last year's final.

During the weekend at Victoria Park four school teams, Wanganui Intermediate (WIS), St Georges, Hunterville and Huntley, battled it out for top honours with Huntley and WIS making the final.

In a tense match on the Tasman Tanning No1 ground at Victoria Park, Huntley won the toss and elected to bat. It must have rued that decision when WIS bundled the Rangitikei lads out for a paltry 69 runs.

However, a determined Huntley X1 strode out to the field to defend the small total.

Huntley headmaster Sam Edwards said the team and supporters thought they were done for, although any negative thoughts dissolved once the second innings got into full swing.

Young Year 6 bowler Matthew Hocquard came out and decimated the WIS batting line-up.

After sending down just seven balls, Hocquard had claimed four wickets for no runs giving his teammates the confidence to take out the entire WIS batting line-up for just 16 runs in total.

Hocquard is proving quite the find in the Whanganui junior ranks.

On Saturday night at the Cricket Wanganui awards dinner the youngster took out the most runs and most valuable player categories for the U11 grade. His latest figures were obviously not included in deliberations for the season achievements.

The outstanding, and unlikely, victory paved the way for Huntley to go through to the Central Regional final and the chance to again make the National Active Post finals in Christchurch.

The Central regional final will be played in Palmerston North in Term 4.

The Pak'n Save Intermediate Cricket Tournament Weekend is a competitive four-team competition played over four T20 games (round robin and finals).

Cricket Wanganui development officer Dilan Raj said there were two aims of the tournament.

"It is for the development of 48 intermediate cricketers through a four-game weekend competition," Raj said.

"Cricketers have a chance to make a mistake in the morning game and fix it in the afternoon game. It's almost like having half a season's game in one weekend. The learning is immense."