College sport: Cricket cup final a thriller

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

Epsom Girls Grammar left little room for error in the college cricket cup final against defending champions New Plymouth Girls High School in the wet in Palmerston North yesterday.

New Plymouth were nine runs short of retaining the title when they were bowled out on the last ball of the match.

Epsom, who had scored 140, appeared to have New Plymouth by the throat at 83 for eight, but a brave fightback by tailenders Anita Waugh (25) and Courtney Sim (21) put New Plymouth back in the hunt.

Opener Cathryn Bristow on 84 anchored Epsom.

Bristow, who was also miserly with her bowling (0-11 off eight overs), scored the bulk of her runs in the final six overs, smashing 37 of the last 43 runs Epsom needed to take the Yoplait Cup.

Morgan Walsh and Amy Hodgson were the standout bowlers, taking five wickets between them.

Kelston Boys High School's 21-match winning streak was broken at the worst possible time, when they lost the Gillette Cup final to Wellington College by seven wickets.

In the rain-interrupted match, Kelston's bowlers were unable to function as well as they could.

Heavy rain forced the teams from the field at least three times.

Time was lost and in reply to Kelston's 160 Wellington had to make 129 runs from 35 overs to win. They reached the required target in the 29th over.

James Hill was the stand-out for Wellington, with 55 not out. Kelston captain Blayne Fraser top-scored for his side with 30.

It was the first time Kelston had reached the final.

TOUCH RUGBY

Tangaroa College fared the best of otherwise miserable performances by Auckland teams at the national championships at Palmerston North.

Auckland schools were the titleholders in all three divisions, but were unable to retain any of them.

Tangaroa were soundly beaten in the mixed final by Whakatane High School, and Auckland Girls' Grammar were third in the girls' division.

Kelston Boys High School, the defending champions and favourites to win the boys' grade, were a disappointing fourth. Forest View High School, Tokoroa, secured the title in only the second time they have qualified for the national finals.

However, Auckland students were well represented in the tournament teams, with five from Kelston making the boys squad.

Eight from the region were named in the girls squad and nine in the mixed.

BOWLS

Green Bay High School's Brady Wynn and Jhen Storie turned the tables on Howick College duo Chris Le Lievre and Bryan Clough, winning the national secondary schoolboys pairs title yesterday.

Wynn and Storie were runners-up to Le Lievre and Clough in the Auckland secondary school championships.

However, on the Wanganui bowling greens they tasted success in a thrilling final, clinching the title on the final end.

Bowls New Zealand development officer Gary Sutcliffe said the level of competition had improved greatly in the two years the national tournament had run, so much so that a transtasman secondary school challenge was planned for October.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

The Satiu brothers, Massey and Allen, from Hillary College, were in smashing form to take out the senior boys pairs at the North Island championships at New Plymouth's Ngamotu Beach. They beat Keegan Anderson and Brydon Maiava from Glenfield College 2-0 in the final. The top 12 teams in each division will now compete at the national championships on January 11 at Mt Maunganui.

ATHLETICS

April Brough, of King's College, was among New Zealanders who denied the Australians all the glory at the Australian all-schools track and field championships in Melbourne.

Brough added the under-18 200m title to her successes at the New Zealand secondary school championships, where she won the senior girls 100m and 200m double. She finished third in the 100m in 12.36s.