Six wickets secure Gents’ win

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

CRICKET

Nothing like it has ever happened before.

In yesterday’s Gisborne Intermediate School boys’ cricket trial, the Gentlemen defended 164 against Players to win the game by two runs, having taken six wickets on the same score of 162.

The Gents’ Ben Langford (2 for 19 off three overs) bowled a double wicket maiden and held three catches. His captain, Bekko Page, took 4 for 29 from six overs, including a double wicket maiden, having made 26 off 36 balls in the first innings.

“It was very close and exciting. I was proud of our team’s effort,” said Page. “We may not have been the favourites to win going into the game but we bowled and fielded tightly, our batsmen having shown that they could stay calm.”

Page won the coin toss and opted to bat, while Players skipper Jarrod Ormiston top-scored — the left-handed opening batsman thumping 65 off 40 balls.

Ormiston said: “What happened at the end was unbelievable, but to me the most important thing is that the game also gave a lot of people a go, a solid shot at cricket.”

The Gents were bowled out for 164 in 31.4 overs of the 35-over match, left-arm spinner Riker Rolls (3 for 17 off 5.4 overs) bowling a triple wicket maiden to finish.

He bowls cleverly yet is of a different type entirely to Gisborne Intermediate’s outstanding spin bowlers of the past.

Aside from second-drop Page, No.3 John Broad (36 off 34), openers Dylan Worsnop (30 from 64) and Malsha Mahabalage (29 off 39) also made starts.

Medium-pacer Ormiston took 2 for 24 from four overs.

Players’ Kelan Bryant (1 for 23 off five) was the quickest bowler on show and backed that showing up with 42 from 22 balls in a 92-run opening stand with Ormiston, the biggest partnership of the match.

First-drop Oliver Egan (17 off 13) was Player’s third (and only other) batsman to score in double figures before, as the non-striker, he was brilliantly run out by Worsnop at point on a quick single off a cut-shot. Worsnop picked the ball up with his right hand, turned on the hop, took aim at one stump from side-on and hit on a day marked by brilliant fielding: Langford’s three catches in an innings equals the Gis Int record in Gentlemen v Players/TW Challenge and the New Zealand (Milo) Cup. Both Ormiston (for scoring a half-century) and Page (for taking four wickets) will be recorded on the TW Challenge Trophy Bat.

The Gis Int boys team to play Ilminster Intermediate at Ilminster in the nine-a-side NZ Cup T20 match next Monday is: Jarrod Ormiston, Bekko Page, Oliver Egan, Malsha Mahabalage, Dylan O’Rourke, Dylan Worsnop, Kelan Bryant, John Broad, Riker Rolls.