College sport: St Peter's makes it five with softball title win

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

St Peter's College were unchallenged to win the Auckland senior boys title at the regional softball championships at Rosedale Park yesterday.

The Eric Kohlhase-coached side made it five in a row when they downed Massey High School 9-0 in the final.

They will defend their New Zealand title, for the third time, at Dunedin next week.

Kohlhase expects some tough competition from Nelson College, who boast the expertise of world champion Black Sox pitcher Marty Grant.

St Peter's have a strong line-up of accomplished all-rounders on the diamond.

"We are lucky to have a side full of talented players while some schools only have five really good guys," Kohlhase said.

Auckland Girls Grammar and Kelston Girls High School will also compete at the nationals after finishing first and second in the Auckland competition.

CRICKET

The Kelston Boys High School first XI ended a three-sided domination of Auckland cricket when they upset St Kentigern College in the final of the RH Marryatt Cup by 49 runs.

The Auckland competition has traditionally been dominated by St Kentigern, Auckland Grammar and King's College.

Kelston, who have never celebrated national success in cricket, are now in the hunt for the national Gillette Cup final, to held in December.

As winners of zone two, Kelston will meet the zone one champions, likely to be Whangarei Boys High, to determine a top four placing for the national play-offs in Palmerston North.

Kelston's fielding was a big factor in their victory over St Kentigern. Two run outs and good catching helped destroy St Kentigern.

James Matthews took four wickets for just five runs in his 10 overs.

St Kentigern were dismissed for 89 in reply to Kelston's 138.

ROWING

The Diocesan School for Girls continued their rise from rowing obscurity to ride a wave of success at the North Island secondary schools championships at Lake Karapiro.

The squad's achievement sent out a warning to South Island secondary school supremos, Rangi Ruru Girls School and St Margaret's College, for the national Maadi Cup competition next week.

The Greg Reid-coached squad of 35 Diocesan skullers gained medals in all but three of the events at the North Island regatta.

Diocesan won all five girls eights age-group races.

The school also won the points trophy ahead of traditional rowing colleges such as King's, Westlake Girls and Takapuna Grammar.

Reid has been working with his squad for just 10 months and says they will go to the nationals as underdogs, but with a big point to prove.

TENNIS

A Glendowie College sister-act emerged as a real force to set up a family battle in the final of the senior girls champion-of-champions match at Stanley Street.

After the longest match of the finals round, the older Erakovic sibling, Julia, managed to hold out off younger sister Marina 7-5, 6-3 to win the title.

They then paired up to win the senior girls doubles against St Cuthbert's College 6-2, 6-0.

St Kentigern College's Damien Mulhane lived up to his top senior boys' seeding, beating Kiril Tcherveniachki (Auckland Grammar) 7-5, 6-3 in the final.

Auckland Grammar retained the James Aitkenhead Shield.

St Cuthbert's defended the girls' shield.

This week:

Today:

Auckland region: Zone 1 and 2 touch rugby championships.

Tomorrow:

North Island water polo championships, Waitakere.

Saturday:

North Island swimming and diving championships, Palmerston North.

Auckland tennis.

Sunday:

Auckland: Mountain bike championships, orienteering.

Monday:

Maadi Cup/New Zealand secondary school rowing championships, Lake Karapiro.

New Zealand volleyball championships, Tauranga.

Tuesday:

Auckland: Champion-of-champions swimming championships.