Former skipper Alex Shanks at second drop put up 23 off 16 balls — the David McDonald-coached Gisborne Boys’ reached 107-7 — against a gritty Horouta crew: Raihan held three catches and wicket-keeper Situ two. Raihan at mid-wicket held on to the only chance offered by Shanks, from the bowling of seamer Harpreet Chema (2-13 off two overs), caught Fearnley at long on off Paulin Kanabar (2-20, two overs) and was at cover when Gray (5) mistimed a drive off Chema.
The dismissal of left-hander Ormiston at 58-2 was of the comic type not seen since OBM played United-Wainui in 2001, when United’s Peter Garland at first slip dived forward after a batsman hit the ball twice, on No.1.
On this occasion, right-arm medium-pacer Jagroop Singh — from over the wicket, two balls into the ninth over — dropped short to Ormiston.
Ormiston went for the pull-shot, got a bottom edge onto his thigh pad, and then hit the ball again off a top edge following through.
After Fearnley fell with GBHS at 86-4, Zyden Worsnop was bowled next ball but Akira Makiri (6) kept out the hat-trick nut from Kanabar. Gisborne Boys’ fought their way to 107-7, the scene now set for a run-chase.
But Johny Gray then took the game over.
Left-armer Gray, the GBHS spearhead, took 3-10: he beat No.1 Situ (2), first-drop Stanley Blake (1) and fourth man in Raihan (0) for pace with a wicket in each of his three overs. He hit the stumps three times and is a genuine striker for a team whose bowling attack is balanced, with variety, including two left-armers.
Left-arm orthodox spinner Riker Rolls took 2-14 off three overs with Shanks (mid-wicket) and Fearnley (long on) both holding catches out deep in a run-chase that could have turned on one wicket, or one more boundary.
Shanks’s catch, running left, to dismiss hard-hitting Horouta opener Gautam Sareen for 32 was the biggest moment of the game, and came three balls into the sixth over with the score at 48. Sareen played a great knock, hammered four 4s and two 6s — one over square leg, one down the ground. He was dropped once, at cover 25m, but that exocet missile of a drive was a half-chance at best.
David Situ, whose team picked up their first win against HSOB by six runs on November 30, said: “It was a good game, we were just a bit too loose in all three areas — bowling, fielding and batting.
Boys’ High played well and put us under pressure.”
OBR have now beaten everybody.
Unbeaten OBR’s 13 run-win against High School Old Boys’ was only HSOBs’ second loss in the last two seasons. HSOB won the 40-over Doleman Cup on December 16, beating OBR by five wickets, but Thursday night marked their second consecutive loss in the grade’s shortest format.
OBR stalwart Matt Cook, on debut as captain, won the toss and opted to bat. His men posted 121-5, first-drop Paul Stewart making 59 off 45 balls and gloveman Kieran Venema 21 not-out.
Theirs were the innings of consequence in the first dig, and Stewart’s knock was only the second half-century of the competition to date, the first being Horouta captain David Situ’s 61 from No.1 in Te Waka’s victory over HSOB.
Stewart’s passion for the game is matched by his application with the bat: he has always loved batting, and as a younger cricketer his ability to play straight and willingness to bat time made him a player with a future.
His partnership of 69 runs for the third wicket with Nathan Trowell (17) was the biggest of the match, the round, and the competition, bar Situ and his opening partner Gautam Sareen’s 102 run-stand last time out.
Four medium-pace bowlers took one wicket apiece, with Steve Lamb (1-7 from two overs) by far the most effective of the seven options used by HSOB captain Jak Rowe.
Rowe’s side got to 114-8 in response, first-drop Graham Sharp reaching 36 in his last game in Gisborne. Ex-GBHS teacher Sharp, a popular and capable cricketer, and his family of four have relocated to Australia.
Opener Scott Tallott, a new vice-captain of HSOB, led with the bat in a most positive manner, for 26 off 15 balls. He and Sharp were the only batsmen to fire for the club on the day — their biggest partnership was only 28, for the fifth wicket. Opening bowler Trowell (3-24), Stewart (2-15) at first-change and fifth option Cook (3-27) bowled accurately and cleverly, with a good change of pace for an OBR unit that fielded well and stayed just one step ahead of the opposition.
Taye McGuinness (7 not-out off 11 balls) from No.8 and No.11 Buddhika Kumarage (six off six) took 10 runs off the 15th and last over of the 15th over, bowled by Jimmy Holden but OBR had put an unbridgeable gap between themselves and HSOB.
‘OBR keeper Venema said: “Our boys were happy to get one over them but, that said, it’s a long season.”
Rawhiti Legal Old Boys Rugby 121-5 (Paul Stewart 59, Kieran Venema 21 not-out; Steve Lamb 1-7, Buddhika Kumarage 1-19) beat the Bollywood High School Old Boys’ 108-9 (Graham Sharp 36, Scott Tallott 26; Matthew Cook 3-24, Nathan Trowell 3-27, Paul Stewart 2-15) by 13 runs.
The Gisborne Boys’ High School 107-7 (Nathaniel Fearnley 28, Alex Shanks 23; Harpreet Chema 2-13, Paulin Kanabar f2-20) beat Breakers Horouta Te Waka 96-7 (Gautam Sareen 32; Johnathan Gray 3-10, Riker Rolls 2-14, Nathaniel Fearnley 2-17) by 11 runs.
