KEY POINTS:
Is Daniel Kinsman set to lead the next wave of New Zealand's motorsport stars?
That was the question many were asking after the Howick College youngster showed a clean set of wheels to the Junior Yamaha field at the Auckland Kartsport Championships on Sunday.
In claiming the title from Daniel Colville and Arie Hutton, Kinsman broke the class lap record on four successive laps in the first heat.
To underline his dominance on the Rosebank Domain track, Kinsman also took the Formula Junior Class with another clean sweep and a lap record in beating Tom Blomqvist and Matt Hollier.
The Junior Restricted class attracted 22 entries, the biggest of the championships, with Bradley Hicks (Bucklands Beach) too good and winning the title by a clear 11 points from C. J. Sinclair with Stephen Kelly, back after a break from the sport, third.
It was a quality rather than quantity turnout in the Senior Rotax Light, with defending champion Jake Pascoe ending the day equal on points with Richard Moore and Tim Vickers just a point back in third.
Joel Herbert, runner-up last year, took the Cadet Class honours from Peter Goldstone, with his sister Chelsea pressing hard in claiming third.
CRICKET
Auckland
A superb match double from Auckland Grammar's Jimmy Neesham laid the foundation for the Auckland SS as they beat their Canterbury counterparts by 95 runs on the first innings of their two-day match on the superb Coatsville Cricket Ground.
After being in early trouble at 54/3, the home team recovered well and led by Tom Talbot's 140 they reached an imposing 395 at the end of the first day.
Talbot scored his runs from 185 balls and hit 20 boundaries to all parts of the ground.
Neesham wasted little time in hitting 89 from 63 balls, including six sixes and 10 fours. Matt Latham was the pick of the Canterbury bowlers with 4-42 from 14 overs.
In reply, the visitors battled bravely with Logan van Veek scoring 104 before being the ninth wicket to fall with the total at 300.
Neesham ripped their middle order apart, claiming 6-35. Canterbury will host the return leg in term four.
Waikato
Outstanding efforts from Kalana Senanayake with the ball and Chris Jamieson with the bat led Hillcrest High to a comfortable six-wicket win over Morrinsville College and a three-point lead at the top of the division one 50-over championship.
Batting first after winning the toss, Morrinsville began well as Danny Lowe hit a quick-fire half century before being adjudged leg before to Jamieson. Any hope of building on that good start were dashed when Senanayake ripped through the middle order taking 5-40 from his 10 overs including a hat-trick as Morrinsville reached 151.
Led by an unbeaten 86 from Jamieson, Hillcrest reached their target in just 20 for the loss of four wickets.
The day's biggest score was posted by Shane Butler, who hit an unbeaten 114 for Cambridge High as they reached 264/4 against Te Aroha College. Butler was well supported by Jono Feast who scored 50.
In reply, Te Aroha managed only 110 as Shaun Wilkie bagged 5-32.
The low-scoring affair between Hamilton BHS Emerging and Fraser High on grass at Jensen Park went to the wire before HBHS won by 11 runs.
After being dismissed for just 113 as Trent Salvatierra claimed 4-20, HBHS bundled Fraser out for 102 despite a half-century from Andrew McLean as Nikhil Vishwanath and Aaron Lowe took seven wickets between them.
St Peter's were taken to the 48th over before beating bottom-placed St John's College by four wickets.
A 102-run second wicket partnership between Jude Cooper and Jason King laid the foundation for St John's but as the wickets fell so did their hopes of a 200-run-plus tally.
They eventually reached 196/9 as opening bowler Nathan Lawry returned to plunder their middle order and claim four wickets. In reply, St Peter's lost Kurt James early but the innings was turned around by Jarrod Mongston and Gwylim Prosser and they eventually reached their target with four wickets in hand.
Hamilton BHS Development had to work hard before beating Matamata College by three wickets.
Kurt Gaskell led the way for Matamata but he lacked the support needed to build a match-winning tally as Eli McKillop took 4-21 and helped to restrict Matamata to 146.
Hamilton reached 48/1 in reply and went on to post 148/7 in the 34th over to claim the points.
GOLF
The Auckland SS boys premier title race at the Waitemata GC went right to the wire and beyond before Rangitoto College claimed the title in a gripping all-North Harbour final against long-time rivals Westlake BHS.
Fraser Brown and Liam Cox had given Westlake the early lead but Rangitoto No 1 Sean Hawkins forced the match into a playoff with Cameron Jones with a par on the 18th hole.
Jones lipped out a 5ft putt and so they went down the long par 4 second. Hawkins played a magnificent second shot over the trees to leave a 12ft putt for birdie. Jones then played a superb bunker shot leaving six footer for par.
Hawkins tapped in for par meaning Cameron had to sink his putt to force another extra hole but his attempt again lipped out.
ORIENTEERING
There was a changing of the guard at One Tree Hill as the Auckland SS relay championships went on the line.
The Massey High team of Gene Beveridge, Tyler Casey and Matthew Ogden produced the day's outstanding effort in winning the senior boys' championship in a smart 63m 07s.
But, with their wins in the intermediate and junior races, King's College took overall honours from defending champions WBHS.
Led by New Zealand representative Nicola Peat, St Cuthbert's won the senior girls race and eventually overall honours from last years winners EGGS who took intermediate honours from St Dominic's.
In the biggest surprise, Wentworth College claimed the junior title.
VOLLEYBALL
There was no stopping Pogai Falemai and her McAuley High team.
The Otahuhu-based school successfully defended their national title in Palmerston North with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Bay of Plenty's Otumoetai College in a repeat of last year's final.
Otumoetai upset defending champions Tauranga Boys College for an all-Bay of Plenty boys' finale.
The 40th national championships attracted their biggest entry - 1600 players in 145 teams (79 girls/66 boys).
Led by tournament MVP Margaret Lafaele and captain Falemai, McAuley went through unbeaten, adding the national crown to a haul that includes the Australian title, won in December.
But a clash with the wedding of popular coach Bridget Houghton means the school will not defend that title this year nor, after a decision by the school's board, will they take up an invitation to play in the World Schools Championships in Italy next month.
Led by strong games all week from captain Sam O'Dea (named the MVP) and Ben O'Dea, Otumoetai were the standout in the boys competition but were hard-pressed in the final by the determined Tauranga team.
WATER POLO
Rangitoto College claimed the Auckland premier boys' title from perennial rivals Westlake BHS but needed a goal seconds before the end of the second period of extra time to do it.
In front of a vocal crowd at West Wave, Rangitoto took the early lead but by the end of the first quarter Westlake had firstly equalised and then fallen 1-2 behind.
It was not until the last 11s of ordinary time WBHS again scored an equaliser to send the game into the two shortened periods of extra time, Rangitoto winning 3-2 with just 21s to play.
Both teams are now in Lower Hutt for the NZSS Championships.
* asbcollegesport.co.nz
