College sport: Double is a first for St Kentigern

Auckland Grammar's Dima Babenkov in action against John Birch from King's College in the junior boys final of the Auckland Secondary Schools Tennis Championships. Picture / Richard Robinson

St Kentigern completed a notable double with their 6-3 win over Westlake Boys High in the final of the A1 Auckland senior tennis championship.

The win at Vodafone Park followed their success in the national schools final - the first time they have won both titles in the one year.

The win was set up by St Kentigern's top two players, Sam Gould and Marcus Daniel, who won both their doubles and singles matches.

St Kentigern were denied the girls' title by the barest of margins when they went head-to-head with St Cuthberts in a thriller.

The schools shared the Champion of Champions Shield earlier in the year.

St Kentigern, led by the Vano sisters at the top of the order, won the top singles and doubles matches, proving too strong for St Cuthberts' Shona Lee and Abigail Guthrie.

St Cuthberts comfortably won the lower-level singles and the doubles - although they needed a tight tiebreak to clinch one - to leave scores locked at 4-4.

In the deciding singles, between respective No 3s, Lucy Cole (St Cuthberts) was too strong for St Kentigern's Melissa O'Keefe, winning 6-0 to complete a 5-4 victory in the season finale.

St Kentigern did win a second title, however, with their intermediate boys edging Auckland Grammar 5-4. Rangitoto College won the intermediate girls title beating St Cuthberts 6-2 (one match unplayed).

In junior finals, King's edged Auckland Grammar (boys) and Baradene denied St Cuthberts a second title with their victory.

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Cricket

AUCKLAND/NORTH HARBOUR

The ball dominated the bat as the 1A competition finally got under way with a full round of matches.

Kelston Boys High, away to Mt Albert Grammar, struggled to reach 103 before being dismissed in the 36th over. Nick Pereira was the pick of the MAGS bowlers with 3-21 from his 10 overs. In reply, the home side reached their target in the 31st over for the loss of six wickets.

Defending champions King's College made hard work of it when batting first against Sacred Heart. King's scored 123/6 which in the end proved to be a winning total as Sacred Heart were dismissed for 119.

In a minor surprise, Avondale College, playing away, beat St Kentigern College by 88 runs.

Avondale reached 188/9 and then bundled the home side out for 110.

In the game of the day, Westlake Boys, playing Auckland Grammar, reached the day-high 226/5 with Tony Manning leading the way with an unbeaten 60. In reply, AGS managed 166, with Richard Turner the best of their batsmen on 51.

Stephen Kerr picked up 4-40 for Westlake.

Westlake made it two for the day when their second XI beat Macleans College.

Macleans posted a healthy 194/8 in their 50 overs but that was not enough, as Westlake, led by the first century of the season - 112 not out from Simon Mathewson - reached 195/6 in reply to win by four wickets.

WAIKATO

Hillcrest High continue to set the pace in the 1st XI championship. Defending the Dave Hoskin Trophy they won a week earlier in beating St Peters School, they gave Te Awamutu College little chance.

Sent in by the home school, Hillcrest batted steadily rather than spectacularly to reach 198/9 in their 40 overs, with opener Leandre Scheepers contributing 44. A quick-fire 28 late in the innings from captain Aaron Goile enabled the visitors to post a decent target.

Te Awamutu began reasonably, but three wickets for Adam Flegg in the fifth over spelled trouble and eventually led to the innings ending in the 31st over - 98 runs shy of a winning total.

St Johns College share the lead with Hillcrest.

A fightback led by Paul O'Halloran's 69 and with healthy contributions from Hayden and David Mourits, took St Johns to a day-high 229/9 after winning the toss and electing to bat in their game against Fraser High. At 7/2, St Johns were in early trouble.

Aided by four good catches from David Priest and with O'Halloran, Sean Patterson and Jarrid Foster taking two wickets each, Fraser were never in the run chase and were bundled out for 62.

In a replay of the term one final, St Peters School cruised to a seven-wicket win over Hamilton BHS.

Hamilton, sent in, were struggling from the outset.

At 42/6 they needed some help, which came in the form of a 54-run partnership between Fraser Hasnip and Anthony Crump.

A solid opening partnership of 65 between Sam Kilgour and Thomas Wansbone put St Peters on the road to victory, Wansbone eventually falling nine runs short of what would have been a maiden century.

Morrinsville College were also asked to bat first by St Pauls Collegiate but, unlike other matches, this low-scoring affair went to the wire.

Aggressive bowling from Andrew Steed had Morrinsville in big trouble. His 5-12 off six overs played the major role in rolling Morrinsville for just 105 in 27 overs. In reply, St Pauls began slowly, but at 52/4 victory was firmly within reach.

Cole Townsend had other ideas and joined the attack to claim 4-21.

Needing three runs and with their last pair at the wicket, St Pauls got home with one wicket to spare when a skyed shot narrowly evaded a fieldsman.

With Nick Feast and Brad Kay both getting beyond 60, Cambridge reached 216/6 after being sent in.

Their third-wicket partnership of 75 proved a match-winner.

Good top-order bowling from Stephen Ross and James Bremner restricted Matamata's run chase and they could manage only 147/8 in reply. Wicketkeeper Jake Bezzant played his part in snaring four catches.

AUCKLAND GIRLS

Katie Glynn (Diocesan) provided the individual highlight in the latest round with a well-compiled 76 against Baradene.

Baradene, Diocesan, Macleans College and Mt Roskill Grammar are setting the early pace with a win and a loss from their opening two matches. Epsom GGS have won their only game.

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Touch

Competition continues in six zones with a number of schools showing good early-season form as they continue the race for playoff spots.

Auckland GGS and Western Springs College are defending their central zone titles while in North Harbour Westlake Boys are dominating pool A with Orewa and Whangaparaoa unbeaten in pool B.

In girls matches, Rangitoto and Westlake GHS have shown out early.

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Volleyball

Competition is still tight in the Junior Premier Grade, with Rangitoto, Westlake Boys and Tangaroa College locked at the top of division three with 14 points and seven wins. Tangaroa lead on differential.

Mangere College are making no race of the girls division with eight from eight. They are followed by McAuley High with six wins and Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate and Avondale College with five.

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Water Polo

The increasing popularity of the sport is reflected in the record entry for the North Island Junior Championships.

With over 700 players, three pools will be needed for the three-day competition which starts tomorrow.

North Harbour schools Rangitoto College and Westlake Boys start as favourites for the boys title but can expect strong competition from Auckland Grammar and Sacred Heart College. Other Auckland hopes lie with Mt Roskill Grammar, Avondale College and Long Bay College.

The toughest of the visiting teams should be Wellington's Rongotai College. They will be well-supported by Hutt Valley High with the two St Patricks (Silverstream and Wellington) likely upsetters.

Wellington school Queen Margaret will be among the most-favoured in the girls championship. In their last visit north two years ago, the southerners cleaned up.

Again, Rangitoto College and Westlake Girls are likely contenders with Diocesan, St Cuthberts and Epsom GGS. Wellington Girls College and Sacred Heart (Lower Hutt) are also expected to figure.

The division two competition has also attracted a strong entry with 12 girls' and 14 boys' teams entered in the event which starts at the West Wave Aquatic Centre in Henderson, Sacred Heart College and the Epsom Aquatic Centre tomorrow. The division one finals will be contested at West Wave on Sunday afternoon.

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Coming up

Tomorrow, (until Sunday), water polo, North Island Junior Championships.

Tomorrow, West Wave Aquatic Centre (8am-9.30pm); Sacred Heart College (8.45am-8pm); EGGS Aquatic Centre 9.45am-9pm).

Friday, West Wave (from 8am); EGGS (from 10.30am); Sacred Heart (from 9am with 1st crossover games from 3pm).

Saturday, all crossover games, West Wave (from 8.30am); Sacred Heart and EGGS (from 9.15am).

Sunday, division finals, West Wave (from 8.15am), division one finals 3.25pm (boys), 4.15pm (girls).

Saturday, Auckland/North Harbour senior (all 12.30pm unless stated, home team first), 1A pool one, Westlake 1st XI v MAGS, Rosmini v Kelston BHS, Takapuna GS v AGS. Pool two, King's v St Kentigern (11am), Avondale v Westlake BHS 2nd XI, Macleans v Sacred Heart 11am. 1B, pool one, Rangitoto College 1st XI v AGS 2nd XI, Mt Roskill GS v St Kentigern 2nd XI, Liston v Northcote. Pool two, Howick v Pakuranga, St Peters v Kristin, Papatoetoe v Rangitoto 2nd XI.