OBR scalp breaks Boys’ High drought

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Jett Whitaker was the happiest cricketer at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday.

Whitaker is captain of Gisborne Boys’ High School (2). Before last weekend, they had won two games by default in the past two years but had last tasted victory on the field in October 2022.

Last Saturday, Whitaker led them to a win by two wickets.

Towering offspinner Bjorn Botma, in to bat at No.10, made six not out and hit a lofted on-drive for four off Jonah Reynolds to decide the contest.

GBHS beat a Rawhiti Legal Old Boys Rugby team who were without regular skipper Thom Berry, legspinning all-rounder Mana Taumaunu and veteran medium-pacer Amit Vyas — and included five members of the Boys’ High Challenge Cup squad — in a low-scoring thriller on the Harry Barker Reserve representative pitch.

“It was a great game and an excellent outcome for our team,” said 16-year-old Whitaker, who made 11 not out from No.7.

“We’ve worked very hard for this result. Our bowling and fielding were amazing, and the bowlers who most impressed me were Alex Langford (3-11 from two overs), Ted Gillies

(3-12 from 5.4) and Patrick McInnes (3-13 from three).

“We were chasing an achievable target of 90, and a partnership of 37 runs for the fourth wicket between Conrad Parkes (10) and my dad, Steve Whitaker (20), put us in position to get home.”

He said he was proud of his team and hoped they would get more wins this season.

OBR captain Harvey Reynolds won the toss and chose to bat first. OBR lost their left-hand/right-hand opening combination of Peter Stewart and Joe Reynolds (Harvey’s uncle and younger brother of OBR bowler George) with the total at nine.

No.4 Jonah Reynolds (33 not out) was the only batsman to reach double figures first-up. His stickability meant OBR were all out only two balls short of batting for their full complement of overs.

OBR were dismissed for 89 in 29.4 overs.

The Boys’ High left-arm/right-arm new-ball pairing of Caleb Taewa (1-15 from five overs, one maiden) and Brandon Fearnley, who conceded only eight runs from three overs, set the tone with a good off-stump line, while the GBHS committed ground-fielding and catching were impressive.

Boys’ High began their pursuit the hard way at 28-3. OBR left-arm spearhead George Reynolds, one of the most consistent and experienced bowlers in the grade, took 3-8 from six overs, four of them maidens, and legspinner Harvey Reynolds, George’s younger son, flighted the ball beautifully to snare 3-19 from six overs.

The Conrad Parkes-Steve Whitaker stand was the biggest partnership for Boys’ High, but Botma and his skipper, the only Year 12 senior student in the second 11, held their nerve under pressure, removing the spectre of a winless season.

What Breakers Horouta Te Waka achieved on Saturday was brilliant.

Some of their best players made the step up to premier cricket and were instrumental in their team’s acquisition of first-innings points against OBR.

It meant the Senior B team had to play one man down against younger legs. Nevertheless they won their Round 13 tussle with Campion College by five wickets.

Te Waka skipper and gloveman Riley Horsfield said: “We got there, 80-5 in 21.1 overs, and took the win but it wasn’t easy – Campion put in a great match-effort.”

Campion captain Hamish Swann won the toss on Harry Barker Reserve No.3 and chose to bat. James Craig, bowling at second change, took 3-10 from four overs and left-arm orthodox spinner Clarence Campbell was good for 2-16 from four overs with one maiden. Four other bowlers took one wicket each. Billy Morse (1-8 from 4.1 overs, one maiden) finished the job, dismissing college No.10 Jacobus Du Preez (3) with the first ball of the 25th over.

All out for 79 on a fair wicket, Campion hit back with their pace attack. Spearhead Rhys Grogan (1-9 from six overs, three maidens) bowled arguably his best spell of the club cricket season, Taye McGuinness took 3-30 from 5.1 overs and Swann, the fourth paceman employed, took 1-19 from five overs.

Swann, who made 25no off 19 balls from No.11, was their highest individual scorer.

Grogan (11), at second drop, was the only other batsman to reach double figures for Campion.

Horsfield, who came into this fixture fresh off his first 50, in a 136-run loss to OBR, played an even better hand this week. His was the match-winning knock, 29 off 33 balls from No.3, on Saturday.

That he did not hit a boundary mattered not one jot.

Sean Moran’s men are more than chugging along.

Placed second on the six-team table behind OBR, Moran’s Chicking High School Old Boys Presidents beat defending Senior B champions and Hope Cup holders Civil Project Solutions Ngatapa Green Caps by four wickets in a nail-biter on Saturday.

These two teams opened the 2022-2023 season with a tie – 159 to 159 – on the No.3 wicket.

HSOB skipper Moran was a happy man after the latest clash: “The team made a great combined effort with everyone stepping up and giving of their best.

“We shared the bowling duties around and the fielding was excellent. We didn’t drop a single catch, and both McMurrays — father Richard and son Cody — took excellent catches in the deep.

“In our batting, after we lost Matt Jefferd two balls in, opener/wicketkeeper Ollie Needham (55) and Nathan Quimpo (45) knuckled down in an excellent partnership of 77. They kept the run rate up and took the game deep.

“Justin Kohere (42no off 39 balls from No.5) was the anchor at the end of the game for us. He scored the winning runs.”

Ngatapa captain Charles Morrison won the toss on Harry Barker Reserve No.4. His Green Caps posted 170-9 in 30 overs. Morrison led the way with 42, his opening partner Simon Wilson made 23, and hard-hitting Hoffman Haasbroek hammered 36 off 25 balls.

Buddhika Kumarage (3-32), offspinner Jefferd (2-27) and legspinner Quimpo (2-40) were the best of the Presidents’ bowlers. Kumarage and Jefferd both got through six overs, Quimpo four.

Fast-forwarding to the HSOB innings and the end of the match, Kohere maintained his composure to take a single run off the third ball of Ollie Jonasen’s fifth over – the 30th – to settle the matter.

It was good cricket from Kohere.