Father-son combinations to the fore

FATHERS AND SONS: OBR (2) fielded four sets of fathers and sons this season. They are, standing (from left): Deevon Gray, Philburgh Viljeon, Mike Foster and Malcolm Trowell. Kneeling: Te-Reimana Gray, Phil Viljeon, David Gray, Nathan Trowell, Dylan Foster and Matthew Foster. Front: Johnathan Gray and Marcus Gray. Picture by Liam Clayton

CRICKET Time is precious — and short.

Four father-son combinations made the most of a rare opportunity to play club cricket regularly together this season.

The Trowells (Malcolm, 42, and Nathan, 14), Fosters (Mike, 41, Matthew, 15, and Dylan, 13), Grays (Deevon, 41, Te-Reimana, 13, David, 11, and twins Johnathan and Marcus, 10) and the Viljoens (Philburgh senior, 38, and Phil junior, 11) turned out on Saturdays for Old Boys Rugby (2) in the Hope Cup.

That 30-over competition’s 2pm start time gave dads with Saturday morning work commitments and the likes of Ngatapa, their rural elements spread far and wide, a chance to play cricket.

The Viljoens emigrated from South Africa to Auckland in 2004 before settling in Gisborne in 2011. Phil senior, who scored a run-a-ball 29 from No.3 in the nine-run win against Campion College in Round 13 of the Hope Cup, said: “It’s an awesome way to spend an afternoon — good cricket and a few laughs with a great group of lads.”

In this competition, Nathan Trowell (who led the Poverty Bay boys’ junior secondary schools team and Gisborne Boys’ High School Colts this season) and his cousins the Fosters have had opportunities to bat top-middle order, and bowl as other than a last resort.

Malcolm Trowell played for High School Old Boys from the age of 16 to 30, then for OBM for a season before taking a break from cricket.

Nathan, who took 3-13 off four overs against beaten Hope Cup finalists Horouta in Round 5 and 3-12 off five against HSOB Presidents in Round 7, said: “I love playing with my dad as he has shown me how to win the tight matches — the ones you remember, the ones that matter the most.”

While Te-Reimana Gray played for Gisborne Boys’ High School in the Super 8 tournament and is now a first-choice member of the first 11, until last November, his father hadn’t been in the middle for 25 years. In Round 2, Deevon opened the batting and scored 64 off 68 balls against HSOB Presidents. Later, Te-Reimana took 2-6 in three overs in OBR’s first outing, a 91-run win. Younger brother David, a leg-spin bowler, took 3-22 off six in the third clash with Campion College.

“Rebecca (their mum) enjoys the game,” Deevon Gray said.

“The boys were brought up to be active outdoors. They live and breathe cricket in the summer, at the practice nets or until the last ball is lost over the neighbours’ fence. The boys just love it and have high aspirations, and we support them in that.”

Like Te-Reimana and Nathan, Matthew Foster is a former captain of the Poverty Bay boys’ primary team, while brother Dylan is a promising leggie good enough with the bat to have scored 25 off 22 balls against this year’s Hope Cup champions Ngatapa on March 2, and also 77 and an unbeaten 92 at Colts T30 level in the past fortnight. Both Matthew and Nathan played under Peter Stewart, before the team’s withdrawal, in the last GBHS second 11 of 2017.

Matthew, who took 2-26 off five overs in Round 13, has thrived in the OBR side.

“To play alongside your dad, brother, uncle and cousin is not an opportunity many get. It made the game fun and enjoyable . . . except for when my dad almost ran me out!”