HSOB benefit from Stars’ demise

A YEAR on from breathing new life into the Poverty Bay cricket scene, Bollywood Stars have folded. With several players — including co-captains and Poverty Bay representatives Sam Singh and Gary Singh — no longer in the district, Ajay Kumar, Aman Kamboj and Gagan Dhingra have returned to their previous club High School Old Boys, who are now called Bollywood HSOB.

Club captain Ryan Majstrovic said they would be without Robbie Tallott, who was staying in Dunedin to try to crack the Volts set-up. Apart from that, they had continued to build for the season, which opens with Twenty20 games at Harry Barker Reserve tomorrow.

“Pat (Glen Udall) being much more involved will enable Scott Tallott and Jak Rowe to lead the team, and hopefully I’ll be able to get a few weekends off to just watch,” Majstrovic said.

With Dave Salmon returning from police college in mid-November, Carl Shaw about to return from overseas, and a good core of committed players from last season, HSOB were looking more settled at this stage of the season that at any time since he had become involved, Majstrovic said.

“Matt Jefferd and Jarrod Renouf have got great pedigree with the bat, and should be pushing for rep honours,” Majstrovic said. He and OBR’s Ian Loffler will help Bay coach Lance Cairns pick the representative team.

HSOB will also be strengthened by the return of Marshall Norris from university for the summer, and the signing of Sasha Drain from Lytton High School.

“Both should have selection for the Bay team in their sights,” Majstrovic said. “We’re looking forward to trying to get a couple of trophies back.”

HSOB play Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates at 1pm and Horouta at 3pm.

-----

Gisborne Boys’ High School coach Ben O’Brien-Leaf will not have vice-captain Ryan Nepe (ankle injury) for the opening two games. O’Brien-Leaf said he had a young team with two Year 12 students, seven Y11s, two Y10s and two Y9s.

“All of the boys can hit the ball well and T20 is a good way to start the season,” O’Brien-Leaf said.

Games could turn on one ball, and the time batsmen normally spent getting in now had to be used in running twos and pushing for threes. Boys’ High play Campion first up then meet Pirates.

“Campion played some excellent cricket and they have talent coming through,” O’Brien-Leaf said. “Pirates are always a challenge.”

Boys’ High captain Drew Scott, 16, said his team were keen to get into it.

“The team have been training and it’s coming together. Jack Faulkner and Paul Stewart want to step up with the bat as does Matt McNeil, our wicketkeeper.”

Scott and former Gisborne Intermediate player Thorn Parkes were in the Northern Districts under-17 team who played in the national tournament in Christchurch last season. Scott is currently attending an ND u17 camp in Tauranga. Parkes was at the ND u19 camp last week.

-----

Bain Construction OBR will be without Matt Cook, who is getting married this weekend. Joe Loffler is also unavailable, but club captain Ian Loffler said that, apart from these two, the squad was the same as last year.

“Hopefully Josh Adams can kick on a bit from last year, where he showed potential with the bat. Kieran Venema will probably open the batting with Craig Christophers. JP (Jonathan Purcell) will captain the team, and we have Timoti Weir and Jimmy Holden with the new ball. Matt Henwood is our batting all-rounder in the middle order.”