Kerikeri High girls get the glory

BREAKTHROUGH: The Kerikeri High School girl's cricket side won the one-day triangular tournament in Whangarei earlier this week. Names to accompany image in article. PICTURE/SUPPLIED

The Kerikeri High School girls' cricket team recorded a historic victory over their arch-rivals in Whangarei this week.

The result came at an annual triangular secondary schoolgirls' tournament for Year 9/10 students contested between Whangarei Girls', Kamo High and Kerikeri High School at Kensington Park on Tuesday.

Kerikeri coach Ellie Liddington noted her girls played and beat both Whangarei sides in the two 14-over games each team played on the day. In both cases, Kerikeri batted second and successfully chased down the total set by WGHS and Kamo respectively to claim the John Bruce Cup.

Liddington noted a "stunning field innings" by her players in the day's first game helped restrict WGHS to 68 runs after their allotted 14 overs, with standouts including bowlers Bella Boyd, Marcella Neale and Nina Urlich, along with wicketkeeper Lucia Avery taking a few catches.

Keri's turn to bat saw them pass the required target comfortably, reaching 69 in the 12th over for the loss of only five wickets, with standout Tara Jackson hitting "plenty" of fours.

Kerikeri then went on to win their second match of the day against Kamo High, which also made 68 runs in 14 overs.

"We took some great catches," said Liddington of that game, noting that standouts in the fielding department were Alex Edwards and Abby Ngaan, the latter also claiming a great runout by hitting the stumps on the full with a throw from 20-30m out.

However, the day's highlight was recording the first ever win over Whangarei Girls', a result that had been "a long time coming".

"All the girls are absolutely stoked, and proud," said Liddington. "I think that they [Kerikeri players] knew the history of this game, that we have never won. They played in the same tournament about two years ago as Year 8 students and got a hiding. We were so young then," she said, adding the nucleus of the squad had been together for several years now and had built up a great rapport in that time.

"Really cool relationship with each other. Players know how to laugh with each other, stay positive," said Liddington, noting the recent result was due reward for the big focus the school has placed on developing the girls' game from Year 7 all the way up to Year 13.

"We now have massive and ever-growing interest in the game over all year levels. I now feel confident that every year when we lose the Year 13s we will have great flow as the year levels come up. Very exciting for the future," said Liddington.

The side's performance on Tuesday has led to four Kerikeri players - Jackson, Neale, Boyd and Maya Hodge - being named in a Northland junior selection to play in a Northern Districts junior secondary schoolgirls tournament later in the month. In the meantime, the Kerikeri High Schoolgirls will prepare for the Leef Cup tournament next year.

Names to accompany image: From back left are coach Ellie Liddington, Bella Boyd (leaning over), Marcela Neale, Maya Hodge, Abby Ngaan, Szren Hamberger Anna Burton, Mila Urlich, Alex Edwards, (sitting) Lucia Avery and Tara Jackson.