CRICKET - Students go down fighting in exciting Cobham Oval clash

If City expected Whangarei Boys' High School to be easybeats on Saturday after their disappointing midweek defeat in the Gillette Cup they were mistaken, as the student side ran them close in their premier grade cricket match.
The match was the highlight of the premier grade competition over the weekend as Cobham Oval produced another sparkling match with plenty of runs and drama.
"You might have expected a flat performance but they showed they can play better when they relax a bit and they really gave City a fright, which went a long way to helping them overcome their Gillette Cup let-down," Boys' High selector Russell Smith said.
Given the difference between the two performances, it was perhaps fitting that the team was captained for the first time by all-rounder Rory Darkins, who was given the role with an eye to rebuilding toward next year's Gillette Cup - the premier inter-collegiate competition in the country.
Darkins replaces Aaron Wilson in the position and he was an obvious choice after being selected to captain the Northern Districts under-15s last year. Wilson, in his last season with the school, happily handed over the reins of the team to the Year 11 student, who turned 16 last month and now has the opportunity of two years in the position.
There is plenty of depth in cricket at the school, with nine competitive teams and players like Year 9 student Henry Cooper, who scored a magnificent 180 for the second XI in the reserve grade on Saturday, waiting in the wings.
City set Boys' High 240 to win on Saturday, with Joey Yovich top scoring with 81 and Brad Chard also scoring a half century.
Joseph O'Sullivan led the High School chase with a free-flowing 67, which saw High School poised for victory until City made a bowling change.
Owain Hopkins came to the crease and his slower pace proved difficult to score from. His spell of eight overs finally turned the game, claiming 4/39, with High School's chase ending on the final ball of the innings with 193 all out.
In the other two premier grade fixtures Kamo and Bledisloe both lost the all-important toss against their opponents.
Both sides batted and struggled to contain the bowling attacks of Maungakaramea and Kaipara Flats respectively, on green Kensington Park wickets.
The groundkeepers had worked hard all week to get the grass tracks ready for their first matches. But there was still a fair amount of moisture on the wickets when the covers were lifted, producing plenty of movement for the seamers.
Kamo's Rhys Farrand proved batting wasn't impossible by gamely carrying his bat through the innings, finishing with 29 not out, but he was the only batsman to withstand the attentions of Tim Southee, who knocked the top off the Kamo innings and then returned later to finish the job, ending the match with figures of 4/13 off eight overs.
John Child was the other main wicket-taker with 3/13 as Kamo were dismissed for 84 in 35 overs.
Lance Jessup and Ben Cochrane both reached 32 as they passed Kamo's total in just 14 overs.
Kaipara's Gordon Penney proved just as lethal in their nine-wicket victory over a strong Bledisloe side with 4/8 off 7.1 overs. He was ably supported by Tauseef Satti with 3/13 off eight.
Opener Brad Wilson was unbeaten on 36 in the 25th over as Kaipara amassed the necessary runs for maximum points from the match.