Senior students McGuinness, Swann, Connor Starck (injured at present) and Rhys Grogan do an important job every week for Campion College cricket in both grades, and have played their part in bringing on the school’s next generation of cricketers.
Life Guards bowling spearhead Alex Langford took 2-7 from two overs and his captain, offspinner Ted Gillies, took 2-22 from three overs.
The catch by Jonah Reynolds to dismiss a powerful batsman in Grogan (14 off nine balls at first drop) off Gillies reduced Campion to 29-2 in 4.5 overs and was a major factor in the course of events.
The Reynolds brothers applied themselves to the task of chasing down 127. They made the most of their opportunity to make runs, albeit on a wicket that took turn and against a bowling attack with potential.
In this era of grace periods for batsmen and warnings for leg before wicket, they needed none of it.
Caleb Taewa’s crew remain unbeaten.
Having beaten the Jett Whitaker-led Blues and Royals by 10 runs in the first round, The Admiralty won the teams’ second meeting by 14 runs midweek.
Taewa said: “It was another really good game that could’ve gone either way. Patrick McInnes played really well for us. He took 3-18 from four overs at first change and with the bat he looked solid at the top of the order for 27.
“We bowled well and everyone contributed, whether bowling, batting or in the field.”
Whitaker shared similar sentiments.
"It was a great contest,” he said.
“I thought we were unlucky not to win but the standout players for me were Arthur Cave (12) batting at No.4 and Jack Holden (19) as the sixth man in. They picked up the run rate in the middle overs and got us close.
“Both of them played great attacking cricket in a great partnership."
Whitaker won the toss and chose to bowl. The Admiralty put up 109-5, McInnes putting on 20 with Aiden Armstrong (7) and 36 with Robbie Newlands, who made a strong return to cricket from an injury to his right hand with 20 at first drop. A tall batsman who plays superbly straight, he also took 1-5 from two overs.
McInnes fell to a sharp, low return-catch to Cave (1-25, three overs).
Newlands and Taewa (18) put on 48 for the third wicket — the biggest partnership in the match — against bowlers of quality, such as Brandon Fearnley (1-14, two overs). The overall cricket level of the Challenge Cup
improves weekly.
The Blues and Royals set about chasing 110 the hard way. Their No.1 Joel Kirkpatrick (8) showed himself to be made of stern stuff. He took two blows to the body but carried on manfully, without fuss, getting into line against the left-arm pace of Taewa until he became the first of three batsmen to have his stumps rattled by McInnes.
Six of the seven Blues wickets to fall were out bowled.
The biggest partnership the Blues put up was a 31-run sixth-wicket stand between Holden and Charlie Whitfield (10). Whitfield also took 1-9 in four overs of excellent left-arm orthodox spin and has a tremendous future in cricket. He has come on in leaps and bounds this season.
As in the last meeting between these teams, it was up to diminutive left-hander Alistair Bryant (3no) to front up against Taewa in the last over. He did that by hitting over the top of the close-set field.
The Blues were 95-7 at the end.
Patrick McInnes shared a popular sentiment: “I’m enjoying the amount of cricket and opportunities we’re getting with both the Challenge Cup and the Hope Cup (Senior B).
“It’s all game-time.”
GISBORNE BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL THE LIFE GUARDS 127-0 (Harvey Reynolds 56 not out, Jonah Reynolds 53no) beat CAMPION COLLEGE (2) 126 all out in 19.3 overs (Taye McGuinness 32no, Hamish Swann 30; Alex Langford 2-7, Ted Gillies 2-22).
GISBORNE BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL THE ADMIRALTY 109-5 (Patrick McInnes 27, Robbie Newlands 20) beat GISBORNE BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL THE BLUES AND ROYALS 95-6 (Jack Holden 19; Patrick McInnes 3-18).
