Thrilled with venue but not the result

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

CRICKET by Ben O’Brien-Leaf

Bittersweet — the Poverty Bay boys’ junior secondary schools team were thrilled to play their last cricket game of the Northern Districts tournament at Rotorua’s chief ground, Smallbone Park, but disappointed to lose the 50-over clash with Bay of Plenty Lakelands by 86 runs.

Graham Hudson, assistant coach to Poverty Bay head Bruce Kerr, said the side batted to their potential for the first time when Liam Spring and Nathan Trowell put together a fourth-wicket partnership. They put on 65 runs in 78 balls.

“Liam waited for the bad ball and when it came, struck it beautifully,” Hudson said.

“This week, as a bowling unit, the boys became more consistent and disciplined. They gave away fewer extras on average than our opposition. In the last game, Daniel Stewart bowled 10 overs on the trot and Blake Marshall was superb also.

“Fielding is our major work-on — game sense, field placings, catches — little battles within the war.”

Poverty Bay captain Trowell won the toss and chose to bowl on the artificial strip of the large sloping ground. The home team’s total of 206-7 featured four partnerships of 40 or more runs with off-spinner Stewart taking 2-25 off 10 overs and pace bowler Marshall, 2-29 off 10.

Seamer Matthew Foster took 1-36 off eight and Liam Barbier, 1-44 off eight, while the Bay’s Cohen Loffler ran out BoP captain Harry Jones (37 runs from 53 balls) off the last ball of the 45th over, and the hosts were 176-5.

Lakelands opener Brooke Mitchell (46 off 95 balls) made the highest score in the match, and vice-captain Cohen Stewart scored 32 off 51.

In response, Poverty Bay lost a wicket off the first ball of the innings for the second time in four games. They were 21-3 with one ball remaining in the seventh over when wicketkeeper Spring (34 runs from 48 balls), batting at No.5, joined first drop Trowell (18 off 59).

Jones dismissed Trowell, leg before wicket, off the first ball of the 21st over and Stewart had Spring caught two runs later with the score at 88-5.

Medium-pacers Jones (4-11 off 7.1 overs) and Sam Lund (4-20 off seven) were destructive for Bay of Plenty. Poverty Bay were dismissed for 120 in 37.1 overs. Seven batsmen were out for less than seven.

Lakelands coach Crispian Stewart said the key moment was the dismissal of Spring, after which wickets fell regularly.