College sport: Unusual hat-trick seals Epsom win

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

For the second week in a row, Auckland secondary school cricket players have achieved rare bowling feats.

Ten days ago, Liston College's Jeffrey Ah Lo single-handedly scuttled the Dilworth 1st XI, taking 10 wickets for 52 runs.

On Sunday, Claire Rorke of Epsom Girls Grammar added an unusual three-wicket bag to the believe-it-or-not files.

The medium-pace bowler took a hat-trick off the first three balls in her first over in the girls 1st XI Yoplait Cup zonal final against Diocesan.

With Diocesan floundering at 25-4, Rorke stepped up as first bowling change.

She clean-bowled her three victims and eventually finished with the fine figures of three for seven.

Match umpire Chris McQuaid, who sees two to three hat-tricks a season, said three wickets taken off the first three deliveries of a bowler's first over was new to him.

"In my 10 years of umpiring I have never seen a hat-trick taken like that - it's definitely unique," McQuaid said.

Economical bowling by team-mates Morgan Walsh (3-5) and Amy Hodgson (2-0) also helped to lay the foundation for a nine-wicket win.

Epsom Girls Grammar reached their target of 53 in nine overs, with the loss of just one wicket.

TRIATHLON

Rangitoto College's demolition job in the tag teams triathlon at Maraetai capped off a successful Saturday for multisport in New Zealand.

As Cameron Brown, the former Pakuranga College and 1990 New Zealand secondary school triathlon runner-up, was making his claim on the New Zealand Ironman crown in Taupo, Rangitoto's senior boys team ended a 12-year Auckland Grammar-St Kentigern stranglehold on the schools title.

The trio of Peter Mullins, Terenzo Bozzone and David Steele beat Auckland Grammar by 26s over the combined 600m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run.

Rangitoto enjoyed a successful day at the multisport event with 21 placings from the 39 teams that entered.

Their junior boys cleaned up, taking the top two placings on the podium.

Epsom Girls Grammar also showed that they were again a force in multisport.

Three of their four senior girls teams were first, second and fourth.

KILIKITI

Defending champions McAuley High School held off Epsom Girls Grammar to win the girls A-grade competition at the Auckland Domain.

Up to 1000 secondary students from the Auckland region competed in the 11th senior Pacific Island cricket tournament.

A strong De La Salle side beat Massey High School in the boys A grade final. It was a welcome return for the Mangere school, who missed the event last year.

Massey were too good for St Paul's College in one semifinal and De La Salle ousted Otahuhu College in the other match-up.

This week. -

Today. -

Auckland: boys athletics championships.

North Harbour: athletics.

Tomorrow. -

Auckland: girls athletics championships.

North Harbour: athletics.

Counties-Manukau: equestrian.

Friday. -

Auckland: cricket - R. H. Marryatt Cup, Eden Park.

Saturday. -

Auckland: tennis, volleyball, cricket.

North Harbour: cricket.

Monday. -

Auckland: tennis champion of champions.

North Harbour: athletics.

Tuesday. -

Auckland: tennis champion of champions, touch rugby, volleyball championships, yachting zone finals.

Counties-Manukau: athletics.