Ngatapa win Gisborne’s Hope Cup club cricket grand final

The Civil Project Solutions Ngatapa Green Caps who won the Poverty Bay men's club cricket Hope Cup Senior B grade final on Saturday are, back row (from left): Archie Gillies, Tim Fox, Hoffman Haasbroek, Zac Borrie, Ollie Jonasen, George Whitehead and Jacque Davis. Front: EJ Nepe, Charles Morrison (captain), Cam McNaught, Mike Gibson and Avish Shivdikar.

Everybody chips in at Ngatapa.

The Charles Morrison-led Civil Project Solutions Ngatapa Green Caps rustled up a memorable team effort with the bat to decide the 2024-25 Hope Cup Senior B 30-over championship.

Morrison’s crew beat Chicking High School Old Boys’ Presidents by 66 runs, so adding the Hope Cup to the T20 Courier Post Shield they bested HSOB for by 34 runs before Christmas.

Having won the toss and chosen to take first knock on a belter of a No 1 wicket at Harry Barker Reserve, four Caps batsmen made solid contributions in a total of 175-8.

The opening pair of Zac Borrie (21) and Jacque Davis (54) put on 53 before Borrie was bowled by off-spinner Simon Blaker, who went on to take three wickets for 24 runs off six overs, including a maiden.

Blaker had Davis caught by Hiren Bhatti at long on with the score at 80, then bowled old hand Mike Gibson for a three-ball duck.

Ngatapa rebuilt from 80-3, thanks largely to Hoffman Haasbroek (27) and George Whitehead (30), despite the depth and variety of HSOB’s eight-man bowling attack including skilful offie Matt Jefferd, who finished with 2-13 off four overs.

The Sean Moran-skippered Presidents were bowled out for 109 in response,

Jefferd (22) at the top of the order and Blaker (34 at No 6) were their two best with the willow.

With the fall of Jefferd’s opening partner Glen Udall (3) and Steve Whitaker (8), HSOB found themselves at 37-2 in the ninth over.

Udall, Whitaker, Jefferd and No 4 Ollie Needham (12) were big wickets to lose.

Borrie was the chief destroyer with 5-19 off six overs, including two maidens, bowling first change with fellow medium-pacers Gibson (2-8 off two) and Ollie Jonasen (2-25 off 4.5), who shared the new ball (2-15-4.5 overs) with Haasbroek, all in good rhythm.

Jonasen ended the game when he got No 11 Buddikha Kumarage caught by Haasbroek for a two-ball duck five balls into the 25th over.

Both captains said umpires Daniel Stewart and Clarence Campbell did a fine job.

Stewart said they “really enjoyed” the experience.

“The standard overall was high and the respect shown by the teams to each other and the umpires was outstanding. The over rates for both teams was excellent, too.”