College Sport: CEO hails triumphant 21st schools season

Stevie Rogerson throws down a pitch for Western Springs College in their softball game against Green Bay High School at the War Memorial Park in Mt Roskill. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Auckland schools celebrated the 21st year of ASB College Sport in style on and off the field.

On it, there were a host of national senior titles while off it Auckland schools continued to boast an overall participation rate around 15 per cent higher than the national level.

At the recent ASB Young Sportsperson of the Year awards dinner at Eden Park, College Sport chief executive Manoj Daji thanked guests Hugh Richards, Murray Wilton and Dawn Jones, who were members of the inception board, and inaugural chief executive Rob Boston for their foresight in setting up the body which controls Auckland secondary school sports.

With 40 sports now under the umbrella of the Pt Chevalier-based organisation there is plenty of variety for the thousands of young sportsmen and women at the 102-member schools.

With a huge demand on resources there is often the feeling of "we could do better" but that in no way dampens the enthusiasm of Daji and his staff.

Daji says it is not all plain sailing in striving to meet the demands of such a big sporting population.

"Transportation problems, rising costs, access and the lack of facilities for some codes, the shortage of volunteer coaches and the drop-off post-school of student athletes are challenges we in the sporting sector constantly face," said Daji.

He looks ahead with some enthusiasm, especially with the soon-to-be-announced involvement with Sparc and Sir John Walker's Find Your Field of Dreams Foundation which will benefit five schools in Manukau.

"I am also pleased to report that following strong advocacy and lobbying by ASB College Sport, Auckland schools can expect a more even playing field nationally from 2011 as the New Zealand Secondary Schools Sports Council's 'new to school' rules will come more into line with our rules."

In looking ahead to next year, Daji said there are plans to launch a Hall of Fame for young sportsperson of the year winners who go on to become world champions.

He is also hoping to introduce a membership benefits scheme aimed at reducing costs for students and families; the exploration of expanding College Sport to bring in inter-school competition for intermediate schools and the further promotion of a fair play initiative aimed at supporters.

Auckland schools won senior titles in a wide variety of sports this year.

Among those championships claimed by Auckland schools were: boys - water polo, badminton, basketball (WBHS), cycling, table tennis (St Kentigern), weightlifting, hockey (AGS), underwater hockey (Glendowie), soccer (MAGS), league (St Pauls), golf (Kristin), wrestling (Dilworth) and volleyball (De La Salle).

Girls - cycling, hockey (Diocesan), tennis (MAGS), underwater hockey (EGGS).

CRICKET

*Auckland: Honours have been shared in the 1A two-day cricket championship after pace-setting Westlake Boys High School staved off Auckland Grammar's late bid to snare the title in a tense final round.

AGS's outstanding first day effort counted for little as WBHS found better form and restricted AGS to first innings points when they needed an outright win to claim the title.

Resuming at 11-4 in pursuit of the imposing 301 scored by AGS in their first innings, WBHS batted for most of the second day to post 184 of which Robbie O'Donnell contributed a much-needed and impressive 81. He was well-supported by a useful 42 from Travis Committie.

The AGS attack was spearheaded by Oliver Pringle (5-30) and Shaun Hicks (3-25).

Asked to follow-on, WBHS batted out time in reaching 36/1 to ensure they would have a share of the spoils.

At the other end of the table, Rangitoto College lost to St Kentigern College and finished bottom.

Making good use of their home wicket, St Kentigern, resuming at 157-7 went on to post a handy 216 with Reve Anstis (62) leading the way.

Trailing by 89 runs on the first innings, Rangitoto managed just 148 in their second innings. Needing just 59 runs for the outright, the home side wasted little time in posting 60-2 to take maximum points and leap into third on the championship table.

Kings claimed first innings points from MAGS in the third 1A championship match but not without a battle.

Resuming at 35-1 and still 217 in arrears, MAGS battled hard on the back of an excellent half-century from young Aditya Dhadwal but in the end Dylan Collier's bowling was the difference as MAGS were dismissed 26 runs shy of their target.

The rugby rivalry between Auckland's Catholic schools spilled over to the cricket pitch with Sacred Heart getting up in the last round of the 1B plate to beat St Peter's College outright and claim the title.

Not to be outdone, Rosmini College also ended with a flourish beating Avondale College by a massive innings and 130 runs to claim second spot and force St Peters back to third.

Chasing the 178 scored by St Peters in their first innings, Sacred Heart scored 225 with Jarred Payne leading the charge with 62.

St Peters managed only a modest 157 in their second innings as Freddie Klaassen picked up his second three-wicket bag of the match.

Needing just 111 for the outright win, Sacred Heart, again with Payne to the fore, coasted home by six wickets.

In claiming 13 wickets on the second day of their clash with Avondale College, Rosmini were always in control. Resuming at 43-7 after Rosmini had scored 272 in their first innings, Avondale offered little in being bundled out for 58 as talented all-rounder Gareth Anscombe picked up 4-11 and Michael Reidy 3-8.

Avondale fared little better in their second innings with only Sachin Variath (36) showing much as Justin Vallely bagged 6-21 to steer Rosmini to victory by an innings and plenty.

There was tension as Macleans College got up to beat KBHS on the first innings in their trip out west.

Resuming at 48-2 and still 118 runs in arrears of Kelston's first innings 166, Macleans edged home with David Winn scoring an impressive 66 as the visitors reached 172. Jarrod Hill led the Kelston charge with 5-41.

Batting a second time, KBHS reached 119/4 to play out time.

*While their first XI failed at the last hurdle in their championship bid, WBHS still had plenty to celebrate on Saturday as Max O' Dowd, a fifth-former playing in their second XI, scored 261 runs from 157 balls against MAGS.

Hitting 29 fours and 13 sixes in the innings total of 444, O'Dowd set a WBHS batting record. He figured in 96-run 8th wicket and 92-run 9th wicket partnerships. O'Dowd is the son of Alex O' Dowd, a WBHS old boy and the former Auckland and Northern District player, who played first class cricket from 1991-1998.

Waikato: The first XIs from St Paul's Collegiate and St Peter's School had the best possible dress rehearsals for Saturday's 1A division one grand final scoring big wins in the last round of pool play.

St Peters weathered the early storm against Hillcrest High to eventually reach an impressive 278-8. It might have been different if Hillcrest had taken their early chances as Dylan Griffin and William Kokaua bowled well in the early overs.

Jarrod Mongston rode his luck, especially in getting the ball through the slip cordon but just when it seemed he might reach his century he was run out for 84 by a brilliant Ryan Farr direct hit.

The innings of the day, a great 56, from 38 balls, from young Tim Seifert ensured St Peters would have a healthy total to defend.

The ever-dangerous Kokaua managed 22 of the first 27 Hillcrest runs but apart from Josh Fawcett's 46 there was not much else in the Hillcrest innings as Mongston completed a solid match double in claiming 5-40 as Hillcrest managed just 139 to trail by 139 runs.

St Pauls retained both their undefeated record and the coveted Dave Hoskin Trophy in beating Cambridge High by 61 runs in a low-scoring affair.

Scott Joblin was the only batsman to reach 30 as St Pauls scored 162 after electing to bat first.

Joblin opened the innings with Josh Lenssen (29). They put on 38 for the first wicket but there was not the same resolve lower in the order as leg-spinner Mitchell Kirkbride bagged an impressive 5-47 from his 10 overs to help restrict St Pauls to a modest 162.

Cambridge started the run chase poorly and were in trouble at 11-3 thanks to the brilliant bowling of James Hviid (3-28) who hit the stumps three times in his first five overs.

Jacob Crowe (27) and Kirkbride (16 not out) were the only two batsmen who showed any resistance against the inspired bowling performance of fast bowler Owen Robinson who claimed his first six-wicket bag with an amazing 6-14 from 7.1 overs as Cambridge were bundled out for 101 in 32 overs.

After an average season, the HBHS Development XI got up in a thriller to beat Matamata College by eight runs.

Batting first after winning the toss, HBHS reached 228. Their cause was helped considerably by the 43 wides sent down by the Matamata attack and an impressive 88 from Josh Crowe.

A fighting captain's knock of 52 from Kurt Gaskell gave Matamata hope but his effort and handy 38 from No 8 Marnie Senekal was not enough as their innings ended in the 45th over eight runs shy of their target.

ON THE WEB www.asbcollegesport.co.nz

This is the last College Sport for this year. The column will resume in February.