Cricket: Young guns extend their game

Brody Gilroy, Bay of Plenty under-19 captain, bats against Northern Districts under-17s at the Tauranga Domain. Photo / File

Two lots of promising age-group players experienced three-day cricket for the first time when Northern Districts Under-17 met a Bay of Plenty Under-19 Invitation side at the Tauranga Domain.

In the modern era, when limited-overs cricket takes centre stage, the young sides learned about building innings and attacking bowling during the three days' play this week.

ND won the toss and elected to bat and were in trouble at 56/5. However, Katene Clarke and Brandon Weal dug deep to greatly assist their side in reaching 256 all out. Clarke was in grand touch and posted 112, while Weal was there at the end of the innings with an unbeaten 43. Tom Yarrell bowled well for the home side to finish with 4/30. Declan Keaney and Jonty Grigson took two wickets each.

Late on day one, the Bay team paid the price of a long day in the field, losing four wickets. Resuming at 44/4, the Bay lost another couple of wickets early on the second day. However, plenty of grit from Harrison Perry, who top-scored with 44, and Blair McKenzie and Brody Gilroy, who both reached the 20s, resulted in the Bay boys reaching 157 all out. Jak Rowe and Jarrod Davenport did the damage with the ball for the ND side, grabbing three wickets each.

The Bay bowlers grabbed the ascendancy in ND's second turn at bat to have them 88/7. However, a determined knock of 57 from Brandon Weal took them through to 144/8 at stumps on day two.

ND declared at 218/9 early on day three, setting Bay of Plenty a big target of 316 to win. The ND bowlers took regular wickets and the match looked set for an early finish with Bay of Plenty at 98/9.

However, Brody Gilroy and Kyle Dovey put on a 10th-wicket partnership of 71 runs to take the Bay to 168 all out.

Blair McKenzie top-scored with 37, Kyle Dovey posted 33 and Gilroy finished on 32 not out.

-Northern Districts Under-17 v Bay of Plenty Under-19 Invitation XI:

Northern Districts Under-17 253 (Katene Clarke 112, Brandon Weal 43no; Tom Yarrell 4/30, Declan Keaney 2/19, Jonty Grigson 2/44) and 218/9 declared (Brandon Weal 57; B Gilroy 2/16, Tom Yarrell 2/25), Bay of Plenty Under-19 Invitation XI 157 (Harrison Perry 44, Blair McKenzie 26, Brody Gilroy 25; Jarrod Davenport 3/28, Jak Rowe 3/31) and 168 (Blair McKenzie 37, Kyle Dovey 33, Brodie Gilroy 32no; R Somani 3/17).

Result: ND Under-17 won by 148 runs.