KEY POINTS:
With the effects of the wet weather still evident, summer sport is struggling to get under way. The hoped-for start to term four cricket in Auckland was very much a hit and miss affair.
There was better luck, however, for teams in the Waikato, who started their competition with a Twenty20 double-header in two pools at St Peter's School and the university grounds.
In the one senior A1 match in Auckland that did get a start, AGS, away to WBHS, won the toss and elected to bat. At 140/4 a good total beckoned, but they came unstuck in the face of some good bowling from Tony Manning (2-10 from seven overs) and James Coughlan who picked up 4-35 from 23 overs. The innings ended at 161.
In reply, WBHS lost two quick wickets but recovered to 59/2 at stumps, with Manning unbeaten on 35.
There was no start at Kelston BHS in their game with Rosmini, but it is hoped the cancelled first day will be played on Saturday and the match completed, as scheduled, a week later.
The Waikato competition began with the Twenty20 matches but will revert to the more conventional 50-over games for the remainder of the season.
St Peter's School, led by a good effort from Fraser Kilgour (60 and 69 with the bat and 3-6 with the ball), won both their matches to take the early lead in pool B.
The Hillcrest 1st XI and St John's College too won both games, with Hillcrest's Chris Jamieson posting the day-high score of 71 not out in their win over newcomers Te Aroha College by 120 runs.
Morrinsville's Danny Lowe turned in the best bowling effort, taking 7-17 as the Hamilton BHS Development XI was bundled out for 84.
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SOCCER
Interested parties are expected to turn out in force at Central United's clubrooms at Kiwitea St this afternoon for the annual meeting of the ASSFA to consider the proposal to increase the senior A1 championship from eight to 10 teams for next season's competition.
It is also proposed the A2 and A3 competitions be similarly increased, which would give leading schools in the B1 championship the chance to step up.
There will also be a vote on a move to introduce a Junior Knockout Cup for those schools who do not have their first XI playing in the senior A competition.
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TENNIS
Semifinals day produced plenty of one-sided results as teams chased a place in the October 27 finals.
The tightest battle came in the senior AI boys, where defending champions WBHS fought bravely but in the end came up short, going down 5-4 to AGS, who will now play St Kentigern, who beat MAGS, in the final.
WBHS do, however, have the chance of a title with their intermediate team through to that final and a clash with Kings, who are also through to the junior final where they will play St Kentigern who beat the Kings second team 7-2 in the semifinals.
St Cuthberts and Baradene have chances of double success in the girls' finals, with St Cuthberts to play Rangitoto in the senior final and Baradene in the junior. Baradene, 8-1 semifinal winners over Rangitoto, meet Diocesan in the intermediate final.
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WATER POLO
An upset 7-6 win by MAGS over favoured Rangitoto College in an opening round thriller of the junior boys A grade championship indicated that a return to the higher echelons might not be too far away for MAGS, who have rarely been a threat in either senior or junior A play in the last 25 years.
The win over Rangitoto, a perennial medallist at this level, gives MAGS some heart and has them, along with WBHS and Sacred Heart, who also had solid first-up wins, considered as early contenders along with AGS and Glendowie.
Massey HS posted a big 16-0 win over EGGS to show out as likely contender in the junior A girls competition. Rangitoto, WGHS and Diocesan too had good wins in the opening round, with Massey claiming early sentimental favouritism as they have yet to win an Auckland A grade title. With the break for Labour Weekend, there will be no College Sport next Wednesday.
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COMING UP
TODAY: Cricket (home team first), North Harbour open girls (4pm), Kristin v Orewa, TGS v Carmel, Long Bay v Rangitoto. Soccer, Auckland SS Football Association annual meeting, Central United Clubrooms, Kiwitea St. 1.30pm.
FRIDAY: Table tennis, end of year inter-school competition, Auckland Table Tennis Stadium (all 3.45pm), A grade, AGS 1 v AGS 5, AGS 2 v AGS 3, Onehunga 1 v AGS 4. B grade, AGS 6 v Central Auckland Middle School 1, AGS 7 v Onehunga 2, AGS 8 v AGS 9. C grade, AGS 10 v AGS 14, AGS 11 v Onehunga 4, Onehunga 3 v AGS 13, AGS 12 v CAMS 2. Water polo, junior boys B/C grades, Sacred Heart Aquatic Centre, AGS B v Macleans 6.10pm, St Kentigern B v MRGS 6.40pm, AGS C v MRGS B 7.10pm, Glendowie B v Lynfield 7.40pm, TGS v Parnell B 8.10pm. West Wave Aquatic Centre, Massey v Liston 5.10pm, Western Springs v WBHS B 5.40pm, Avondale v Northcote 6.10pm, Kings B v Henderson 6.40pm. No Sunday games this weekend.
SATURDAY: Cricket, Waikato 10.30am, home team first), Hillcrest 1st XI v Cambridge, St John's v Fraser, Te Aroha v HBHS Emerging, Matamata v St Peter's, St Paul's v HBHS Development, Morrinsville v Hillcrest 2nd XI.
