College sport: Cricketers must wait and see on cup final

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

The Kelston Boys' High School first cricket XI, as zone two winners, have been forced to cool their heels as they wait to see who they will play in the northern final of cricket's Gillette Cup.

Kelston will not know who their opponents will be until after the zone one final between Whangarei Boys' High and St Peters College, in Whangarei, on November 5.

The eventual winner of the zone one/two playoff will progress to the top-four tournament in Palmerston North early in December, where New Zealand's top one-day school side will be decided.

The zone one winner will be away to Kelston for the playoff.

St Peters are in the zone final for the first time and Kelston are on the brink of an historic first if they can go on to make the Palmerston North tournament.

Kelston would break into an elite club by joining Auckland secondary school heavyweights Kings College, Auckland Grammar and St Kentigern College as teams making the national final.

Kelston denied defending champions Auckland Grammar another crack at the title.

Whangarei BHS and St Peters will go into their Guy Fawkes Day clash having played little one-day cricket this term. Both have been involved in two-day matches in term four.

With nationwide zone finals still being played, only St Pauls Collegiate (Hamilton) are assured of a place in Palmerston North.

The South Island and lower North Island representatives have still to be found.

The Kelston first XI have had a good build-up for their playoff, winning a quadrangular tournament.

They had convincing wins over St Pauls and Rotorua Boys' High, but lost to Tauranga Boys' High School.

The strong Kelston first XI has a "United Nations" look.

Talented fast bowler Michael Bates is a standout. They also have Croatian batsmen Dusan Hakaraia and Lane Fraser, and Kuwaiti bowler Amitoj Singh, who took two for five from five overs against St Kentigern College.

In premier boys play this week - the sixth round of the championship, and the second in term four - Kings College are away to Auckland Grammar.

A first-innings win would be enough for Kings to take the title.

Kelston, in second place, meet Takapuna Grammar, who are battling, along with Rangitoto College and Avondale College, to avoid relegation.

Avondale play Westlake BHS and Rangitoto meet St Kentigern.

In a key 1B match, Mt Albert Grammar play Macleans College. This pair, along with Sacred Heart, are challenging for promotion.

Meanwhile, Epsom Girls Grammar will look to scoop the girls' equivalent, the Yoplait Cup, for a third time.

Epsom were runners-up to New Plymouth Girls High School last year, but have won the competition twice in the past.

VOLLEYBALL

Still one of the more popular indoor sports, the junior competition - played by boys and girls in the fourth term - is under way.

Teams will ultimately chase a place in the North Island tournament in Tauranga at the end of next month.

After matches in six northern zones, the top teams will qualify for the zone play-offs on November 3.

The top six teams will then go through to the November 8-10 Auckland championships, where they will be joined by sides from the premier league. The top three teams will go on to Tauranga.

OUTRIGGER CANOEING

Onehunga Lagoon will be awash with colour and cheers when college students from around the region converge for the Auckland secondary school outrigger canoe regatta on Saturday. The splash and dash competition will involve 51 teams from 16 schools.

THIS WEEK:

TODAY:

Auckland: junior boys softball.

North Harbour: junior volleyball.

Tomorrow: Auckland: junior volleyball.

SATURDAY:

NZ secondary school mountainbike relay, Rotorua.

Auckland: junior outrigger regatta, tennis.

North Harbour: cricket.

SUNDAY:

Auckland: sport climbing.

MONDAY:

Auckland: junior girls softball.