CRICKET - Taste of victory but not spoils for boys

We were expecting to have to chase around 180 given the strength of the City batting line-up but 80, well that was a surpriseRussell SmithWhangarei Boys' High School coach
Spinners Rory Darkins and Ryan Smith were the heroes of Whangarei Boys' High School's first Northland premier grade cricket title since 1996 at Cobham Oval yesterday.
The twin-pronged spin attack picked up seven wickets between them in 17 overs for just 17 runs to win the 55-over competition but were powerless to share in the spoils of the victory after the match.
"There's $150 on the bar for the winning team so the parents and the rest of the adults are going to have to do their best to do something about that I suppose," the school's cricket master Russell Smith said.
The Boys' High bowlers, led by their spinners, bowled out City for just 84 runs to set up the victory.
"We were expecting to have to chase around 180 given the strength of the City batting line-up but 80, well that was a surprise," Smith said.
The Boys' High seamers started off the innings accurately and didn't allow the City batsmen to settle. Tom Herman nipped out Bert Horner while Vishan Harypursat bowled accurately to maintain pressure at the other end. Aiden Miller claimed the prize wickets of Northland representatives Mark Tulloch and Chris Page.
Then it was the turn of the spinners and they didn't let up. The game was played on the same wicket as the recent State Championship match, which suited the spinners - and Darkins and Smith made the most of their opportunities. "The boys were good in the field. There was one sharpish chance missed but everything else was gobbled up," Smith said.
City got off to a good start to their effort in the field, claiming the early wicket of Todd Beehre. Darkins fell shortly afterward but a good partnership between Henry Cooper and Ben Hyde saved the day and the young side went on to win by six wickets.
Smith said there was currently a very strong group of cricketers at the school.
"But of course it's the same old story, as soon as you get a good team together they start leaving, at the end of this year we'll lose five of them but at least they'll be here for the first part of next season," he said.
The boys have a chance to add to their success this weekend when they play Onerahi-Central in the two-day final, once again at Cobham Oval.