College sport: St Peters impress in first-up win

By DAVE WORSLEY

St Peters College have started the premier softball competition where they left off last year by scoring an 8-0 win over Avondale College in the first round on Monday.

Softball has been the most successful sport for the school in recent years with four wins in the past five years in the national secondary schools championships.

There were six former St Peters students taking part in last week's world championships in Christchurch and a number of other players are being touted as potential Black Sox.

Dion Nukunuku and Thomas Cameron plus assistant coach Eddie Kohlhase were all in the winning Black Sox side. Kurt and Travis Allen played for Samoa and another former pupil, Tony Simpson, played for Great Britain.

Captain Isaac Fletcher is in the New Zealand under-16 team.

St Peters play main rival Kelston at Kelston at 4.15pm next Monday.

ROWING

Waikato schools will be aiming to continue their domination of the feature races at the Head of the Harbour regatta this Saturday on Lake Pupuke.

St Pauls College are looking for three wins in a row in the boys' eights while Waikato Diocesan are wanting a similar result in the girls' senior eights.

New Auckland schools such as St Dominics College and Liston College have entered while traditionally strong crews are entered from Baradene, Westlake Girls and Boys, Takapuna Grammar, Auckland Grammar and St Kentigern College.

There are 29 secondary schools competing, with over 670 rowers.

The first race is at 9am and the under-19 eights races will be after 3pm.

CRICKET

The first round of Waikato secondary schools 1st XI cricket began with some one-sided contests between the 10 teams in division 1.

Fielding an almost new team, Matamata found a rejuvenated St Peters too tough. St Peters batted first and all the top order batsmen got starts. Captain Nick Earl scored 47 not out and Drew Ritchie with 38 not out in a total of 229 for 6.

In reply, Matamata were bowled out for 95 with St Peters bowler Nick Clayton taking 4 for 11 off 10 overs.

Cambridge High's Keith Vincent scored 61 runs in the Cambridge total of 202 for 9 against Hillcrest and then took an impressive 3 for 7 off 5 overs bowling.

Scott Laurence helped his Morrinsville team dominate Te Awamutu College by taking 5 for 23 for a seven-wicket victory.

St Pauls scored a good win over St Johns thanks to Ben Blackett taking 4 for 14.

New team Fraser High lost by 66 runs to Hamilton Boys High 3rd XI, who posted 192 for 7.

In Auckland, premier boys 1st XI cricket got off to a false start after all matches were washed out in the first scheduled round last week but a double round was played on Waitangi Day and Saturday.

King's College had two impressive victories in the white section scoring 240 for 8 against Macleans College 177 and 236 for 8 against Avondale College's 161.

In 1A blue section St Kentigern College and Westlake Boys both had two wins.

St Kents, 151 for 7, beat Auckland Grammar 145. They also scored 95 for 7 to grab a three-wicket win over Mt Albert Grammar who scored 94.

Westlake Boys' 264 for 4 was too much for Takapuna Grammar who were all out for 101.

Westlake's second win for the weekend was over Rangitoto. Westlake scored 201, bowling Rangitoto out for 134.

THIS WEEK

Today: Tennis, ITF 18s Tournament, Vodafone Tennis Park, Merton Rd, semis 8am.

Tomorrow: Tennis, ITF 18s Tournament, finals 8am.

Saturday: Rowing, Head of the Harbour Regatta, Lake Pupuke 9am start. Cricket, Auckland 1A (home side first, all matches at 12.30) Rangitoto v St Kents, Auckland Grammar v Westlake, Takapuna Grammar v Mt Albert, Sacred Heart v Auckland Grammar 2, Kelston v Kings, MacLeans v Avondale. Cricket, Waikato 1A, Morrinsville v St Peters, Matamata v Te Awamutu, Cambridge v St Johns, Fraser High v St Pauls, Hillcrest College v Hamilton Boys.

Tuesday: Orienteering, Summer Series 2, 5.30pm Western Springs. Touch, Senior Zone competition, various venues.