Rosmini won the toss against Sacred Heart and chose to bat. A second-wicket partnership of 65 between Jack Clothier (27) and Zakk Finlay (37) set a good foundation. Hugo Fletcher (5-57) and Ben Westerlund (3-51) took frequent wickets but Oliver Cheyne (33) and Sam Bowden (32*) put on an entertaining 63 for the last wicket to get Rosmini through to 237. In reply, Sacred Heart opener Adam Mackinnon made 32 and Jack Coman is 38 not out to leave the game evenly poised with SHC 111-3.
In the Shield section, Jasper Edgar (39) and Sam Hinds (60) put on a good partnership for Takapuna against Macleans, reaching 102-1. Spinners Carl de Beer (5-70) and Le-Shur Vermeulen (3-97) snared regular wickets. Donald Coleman (35) batted aggressively but Takapuna were bowled out for 202 just before tea. In reply, Macleans were soon in trouble, with Connor Bessell (3-12) reducing them to 10-3. Sudhakar Bacharam (33*) and Vermeulen (28) compiled a handy 60-run partnership, but the loss of Vermeulen just before stumps leaves the game delicately poised with Macleans on 73-4.
Liston won the toss against Avondale and batted first in what is effectively a battle to avoid relegation. Early wickets from Bhavya Arora (3-38) and Abdullah Bangi (3-23) had Liston quickly on the back foot, although Sam Devereaux (30), Thomas Ngatai (34) and Godinet Tinei (49) fought back before Liston were bowled out for 187. Avondale were looking good at 64-1 with Rahul Gordhan not out on 31.
*St Peter's have won promotion back to Premier A cricket in 2016 after their second placing in the Premier B grade. They will swap places with the loser of the Avondale-Liston clash.
Squash
Westlake BHS premier squash captain Rafa Yam, profiled in the February 18 College Sport, and teammate Matthew Lucente have been named by Squash New Zealand in the 2016 junior transtasman test team to compete against Australia. The team will travel to the Gold Coast from January 14-21. Yam will play in the under-19 division and Lucente is in the under-17 division. The team will first compete in the Oceania junior championships where participants are eligible to earn points towards junior world rankings.
Student volunteer of the month
Sport Auckland, in association with Sanitarium, have announced Rachel D'Souza, a Year 13 student at Marist College, as the Sanitarium Student Sports Volunteer of the Month.
D'Souza is the Marist sports captain and captain of the first XI hockey team. She has started a "spirit squad" at Marist and gives up her time to go to a game per week with her cheer squad. She coaches the Year 7-8 hockey team and has had some good feedback from parents involved. As part of her voluntary sports captain role, she has been involved in organising schoolwide sports assemblies to promote sport within the school. "On top of all Rachel does for sports ... she still maintains a good academic record and is very well respected among staff and her peers," Marist College sports co-ordinator Jennifer Connor said.
As well as a Sanitarium prize pack for herself, D'Souza also won her school a $500 Lotto voucher.
School sports awards
Brooke Hemopo and Jake Meenhorst are Massey's top sports achievers for 2015. Hemopo, the country's junior ladies ice skating champion, has been selected into the international A and international development squads and has qualified for the Australian figure skating nationals next month.
Meenhorst is the school's No 1 boys' golfer. He won the North Harbour secondary schools premier 9-hole competition, was second in the intercollegiate tournament and was third in the national age-group championships. Meenhorst was third in the NZ under-19 championships and has been selected in the NZ under-19 junior development squad.
Matt Freeman is Westlake BHS' sportsman of the year, winning the Arblaster Family Cup. Freeman finished runner-up with the Westlake premier team at nationals and was selected for the New Zealand secondary schools tournament team. He is part of the New Zealand Breakers development squad, a Junior Tall Black, Tall Blacks trialist, University of Oklahoma scholarship recipient and under-18 world 3v3 champion.
First XI hockey captain Mitchell Ottow won the Colin Pascoe Cup for outstanding attitude and sportsmanship. The hockey side won the Westlake team of the year. Badminton star Oscar Guo, the national men's champion at just 14, won the Simon Bryan Shield.
