National Primary School Girls' Shield 2017

Tournament winner: Heaton Normal Intermediate School

Tournament runner-up: Holy Cross Catholic School

Tournament MVP: Estella Wallace (Heaton)

Spirit of Cricket award: Raroa Normal Intermediate School

Final Points: Heaton Intermediate 10, Holy Cross 6, St Mary’s School 6, Balmacewen Intermediate 4, Raroa Normal Intermediate 4,  Morrinsville Intermediate 0

ROUND FIVE

Holy Cross Catholic School 25 all out off10.3 overs (G Rowcroft 4-5) lost to Balmacewen Intermediate 26-2 after 7.1 overs, Lincoln No.3a

After the disappointment of losing to Heaton in the top of the table clash in the previous round, Holy Cross had the opportunity to keep the pressure on in the final round. Balmacewen had a slow start to the tournament but had won their first game in the previous round and were high on confidence. Holy Cross chose to bat and before they had the chance to get their minds into the new game they had been dismissed. With just 25 run on the board the innings was over. All five of the Balmacewen bowlers claimed wickets but the best performance came from Gemma Rowcroft who took four wickets for just five runs. Needing just 7.1 overs Balmacewen knocked off the target will little stress. Holy Cross having started so well in the tournament faded in the final two rounds but run rate meant they still secured 2nd place. Balmacewen finished fast winning the final two rounds and jumped up the leaderboard to finish 4th.

Heaton Intermediate 139-3 (E Wallace 67*) beat Raroa Normal Intermediate School 67 all out off 18.3 overs (N McKenzie 3-12), Lincoln No. 3b

Heaton were the only remaining unbeaten team and their ability to retain their title was completely in their hands, win and they would win, lose and the calculators would determine run rates. Heaton won the toss and chose to take control of the game batting first. Despite losing an early wicket, Heaton managed to put some partnerships together lead by the tournament MVP Estella Wallace who scored her third not out 60 of the tournament, in this case 67*. Heaton managed 139-3 from their 20 overs, effectively sealing the title. Heaton though kept their heads in the game and kept the pressure on Raroa through until the end of their innings of 67 all out. Niamh McKenzie finished her tournament as the second highest wicket taken and great final figures of 3-12 from four overs. For Heaton, they had retained their title and deserved the spoils. Raroa had had their moments of success but hadn’t managed to overcome some key moments in their games Raroa finished 5th.

St Mary’s School 141-5 (E McLeod 51) beat Morrinsville School 110-8 (S Kane 23, M Ballantyne 3-22), Lincoln Green

It was a battle of two of the smaller schools at the tournament for the final game on Lincoln Green. St Mary’s had surprised many with two wins so far, for the team from Carterton, while Morrinsville were still yet to have their first victory at the tournament. St Mary’s won the toss and chose to bat first and played beautifully. They were once again lead by an excellent innings from Emma McLeod who scored 51. To win their first game of the tournament Morrinsville would have to score their largest total of the tournament after St Mary’s finished on 141. In reply Morrninsville kept their head in the games but it slowly slipped out of reach. Morinsville finished their 20 overs on 110-8, handing the victory to St Mary’s. With victory St Mary’s finished up in 3rd place with only run rate calculations separating St Mary’s from 2nd. Morrinsville, despite not winning a game had a wonderful experience and developed as cricketers.

ROUND FOUR

Balmacewen Intermediate 102-8 (I Parry 40, S Kane 3-12, S Boros 3-14) beat Morrinsville Intermediate 65 all out after 19.1 overs (A Mischewski 22, G Rowcroft 3-12), Lincoln No. 3b
It was a battle of the two teams yet to win a game on Lincoln No. 3b. Morrinsville and Balmacewen had both pushed teams in their previous three games but had yet to be able to put anyone away. Morrinsville won the toss and decided to field going against the tide of the other two games. It may have been the wrong decision too as Balmacewen went about compiling a competitive total to defend. A 56-run partnership was just what they needed and lead by Isobel Parry’s 40 and support by Maggie Hunt allowed Balmacewen to post 102 for 8 from their 20 overs. Sara Kane and Sophia Boros were the most effective Morrinsville bowlers claiming 3 wickets a piece. Morrinsvilles top scorer in replay was Aria Mischewski who’s 22 was the only significant contribution and regular wickets always had Balmacewen in the drivers seat. Morrinsville were eventually dismissed for 65 in the last over. There was excellent bowling across the Balmacewen team but the best return was from Gemma Rowcroft with excellent figures of 3-12.

St Mary’s School 121-5 (E McLeod 33, A Holdaway 3-15) beat Raroa Normal Intermediate School 71 all out off 14.5 overs (J Barker 28*), Lincoln No. 3a
In the afternoon game on Lincoln 3a, St Mary’s was looking for their second victory with their opponent Raroa needing a good victory to remain in the hunt for the title if Heaton were to slip up in their final game. St Mary’s however had their own desires to continue to climb the points table. Choosing to bat first allowed St Mary’s to put pressure on Raroa and through some excellent partnerships managed to post a team total of 121. They were again led by the very talented Emma McLeod who scored 33 while Abby Holdaway was the only Raroa bowler to stand tall with 3-15. St Mary’s needed tight bowling in reply and that’s what they delivered. All six bowlers returned economical figures and McLeod backed up her batting with three wickets. Jess Barker did her best to hold together the Raroa inning with a better than run a ball 28* but she ran out of partners and Raroa were dismissed for 71 inside of 15 overs. St Mary’s continued their rise up the table drawing equal with Raroa with two victories.

Heaton Intermediate 85 all out of 17.2 overs (R Patea 3-21) Holy Cross Catholic School 58 all out off 13.4 overs (G Richards 4-4), Lincoln Green
With just two games remaining for both teams this was like a final with Holy Cross and Heaton the only remaining unbeaten teams. Heaton won the toss and chose to get the runs on the board and batted first. For the first time to date Heaton’s batters were put under real pressure and Holy Cross managed to dismiss Heaton for their lowest completed innings of the tournament, all out for 85. All six Holy Cross bowlers claimed wickets but the pick of the bowlers was Rosa Patea with three. Holy Cross must have fancied their chances of chasing this down, but Heaton were hungry. Economical bowling from all of their bowlers built pressure and wickets tumbled. Greer Richards reaped the rewards of all of the pressure with 4-4 off three overs including 2 maidens. Holy Cross would eventually fall 27 runs short moving Heaton one step closer to defending their Primary School Shield trophy.

ROUND THREE

Balmacewen Intermediate 31 all out after 14.3 overs (N McKenzie 4-7) lost to Heaton Normal Intermediate 33-6 after 8.4 overs (H Wilson 3-9), Lincoln No. 3a
Balmacewen Intermediate had it all to do against the form Christchurch team Heaton Normal Intermediate. Heaton like Holy Cross entered this game unbeaten and we ruthlessly efficient in dismissing the Balmacewen challenge. Batting first Balmacewen were dismissed for just 31. With no substantial contributions Balmacewen struggles against a disciplined bowling line up which were lead by Niamh McKenzie who captured 4-7 from her four overs. In an effort to give all of their batting line up some time in the middle, Heaton made some changes to their batting line up and Balmacewen took full advantage. Heaton quickly found themselves in trouble at 7 for 4 and 25 for 5 but managed to get home in the 9th over, despite Hannah Wilson doing her bet to stop Heaton’s charge with 3-9. Heaton move on remaining unbeaten.

Holy Cross Catholic School 142-3 (T Malaesilia 32) beat St Mary’s School 70 all out off 16 overs (C Vaotuua 3-8), Lincoln No. 3b
Holy Cross Catholic School batted first in their third games against St Mary’s School from Carterton. With the possibility of eyes already being on their top of the table clash against Heaton that afternoon in their mind, a slip up could have been on the cards, but Holy Cross stayed focused and scored a formidable 142-3 against the St Mary’s bowling line up. There were starts for 4 of the 5 players that had an opportunity, but Tayla-Lee Malaesilia lead the way with 32. In reply wickets fell regularly and despite a battling 20 from inform Emma McLead, St Marys never got their noses infront. They were eventually dismissed for 70 after 16 overs. Claudia Vaotuua lead the Holy Cross attack with 3-8 off three overs. Holy Cross move onto the afternoon games still unbeaten.

Morrinsville Intermediate 95-8 (S Kane 35) lost to Raroa Normal Intermediate School 96-2 off 9.5 overs (S Jennings 29*), Lincoln Green
Raroa started day 2 with a one win one loss record and were desperate to keep winning after an impressive display in round two. Morrinsville were seeking their first win after a challenging first day against the top two placed teams. Unfortunately for Morrinsville the challenges continued. After some early partnerships and a great innings of 35 from Sara Kane Morrinsvilles resistance fell away and some tight late bowling restricted their total to 95-8 in their 20 overs. Raroa got out of the blocks fast and raced to their target just two wickets down within 10 overs. Sarah Jennings with 29* was the top scorer but was well supported by the other Raroa top order members. With victory Raroa remained in the title hunt while Morrinsville continue to seek their first win of the tournament.

ROUND TWO

St Mary’s School 108-6 (E McLeod 44) beat Balmacewen Intermediate 103-8 (I Parry 32*, M Lyford 4-7), Lincoln Green
It was a close-run thing at the afternoon game on Lincoln Green with only five runs separating the teams when stumps were drawn. Balmacewen from Dunedin won the toss and decided to insert St Mary’s of Caterton hoping to learn from their experience of losing a close affair in the morning round after batting first. St Mary’s were will guided by young Emma McLeod who played a mature 44 off 46 balls including 8 boundaries. Some tight bowling towards the end of their 20 overs say t Mary’s finish on 108-6. After a solid opening partnership, wickets tumbled leaving Balmacewen in a precarious position of 76-7 after 14 overs. Isabel Parry worked hard to holding the innings together, but despite her best efforts, Balmacewen fell five runs short. Macy Lyford was the pick of the St Mary’s bowlers claiming 4-7 including two maidens hep St Mary’s get home for their first victory.

Heaton Intermediate 172-1 (E Wallace 68*, N McKenzie 46*) beat Morrinsville Intermediate 78-9 (E Wallace 5-12), Lincoln No. 3a
Heaton were seeking to retain their unbeaten start to the tournament when they won the toss and elected to bat against Morrinsville. Run rate is often a determining factor in tight tournaments like this and Heaton made significant gains in this department with a dominant batting and bowling display. All three Heaton batsman spent time in the middle and made contributions to their imposing total of 172-1. Estella Wallace from her unbeaten half century in the morning round scoring an excellent 68* and was well supported by Niamh McKenzie who was also unbeaten on 46. Wallace again showed her exciting cricketing talents when Morrinsville started their reply claiming five wickets for 12 runs. Morrinsville struggled to put substantial partnerships together and couldn’t keep up with the rising run rate eventually losing by 94 runs.

Raroa Normal Intermediate School 50 all out of 9.4 overs (P Olliver-Bell 21, T Malaesilia 5-17) lost to Holy Cross Catholic School 51-6 of 11.3 overs (J Barker 3-5, A Holdaway 3-11), Lincoln No. 3b
Finger nails were well chewed after this non-stop affair. Holy Cross won the toss and inserted Raroa with both schools seeking a victory to keep themselves in the hunt for the tournament victory. Straight full bowling from a disciplined Holy Cross never let Raroa get them into their innings taking regular wickets to dismiss them inside of 10 overs for 50 runs. Pepi Olliver-Bell was the only contribution with a quick fire 21 off 15 balls including 5 boundaries. The resistance was short lived and once Olliver-Bell was dismissed the tail was wrapped up quickly. Tayla-Lee Malaesilia delivered an outstanding spell of bowling with 5-17. All five of her wickets were bowled. Early wickets in what initially looked like an easy run chase suddenly became very interesting. Jess Barker bowled three consecutive maidens collecting three wickets before finishing her spell with figures of 3-5. Abby Holdaway also secured three wickets in an excellent team bowling display but eventually Holy Cross managed to secure victory to remain unbeaten.

ROUND ONE

Balmacewen Intermediate 94-8 (A Harris 30, W Carter 4-21) lost to Raroa Normal Intermediate 95-8 after 15.4 overs (S Jennings 32), Lincoln Green
Balmacewen Intermediate from Dunedin started their tournament against Raroa Normal Intermediate of Wellington. Balmacewen were put into bat by Raroa but after a strong start fell away to finish on 94-8 after their 20 overs. Abby Harris was the standout batsman with 30 runs while Waimarie Carter picked up four wickets while Jess Barker claimed 3 wickets. That total was almost enough with Raroa achieving the target with just over 4 overs remaining and two wickets in hand. Sarah Jennings was the mainstay of the innings scoring 32, when she fell a tight finish played out with Raroa getting home with just two wickets remaining.

Holy Cross Catholic School 124-2 (C Vaotuua 56*) beat Morrinsville Intermediate 52 all out off 13 overs, Lincoln No. 3a
Holy Cross Catholic School played Morrinsville Intermediate in their first appearance at the National Primary School Shield, and what a great start they made. After winning the top and deciding to bat first, Holy Cross compiled a very competitive score of 124-2 lead by an outstanding innings from Claudia Vaotuua of 56 not out. Tayla-Lee Malaesilia also made an excellent contribution making 35 runs and sharing a 60-run partnership with Vaotuua. In reply Morrinsville struggled to build partnerships and loosing 6 wickets in the 40’s meant their chase for Holy Crosses total was never going to be achieved. Morrinsville were dismissed in 13 overs for 52. Wickets were shared around and four of Morrinsville’s players were run out.

Heaton Intermediate 161-3 (E Wallace 61*, L Campbell 49) beat St Mary’s School 54 all out off 16.4 overs (N McKenzie 3-3), Lincoln No. 3b
Heaton Intermediate began their defence of the National Primary School Shield tournament playing against St Mary’s School from Carterton. Heaton won the toss and chose bat giving everyone an early indication of their strength and desire to retain their title. There were two standout performances in Heaton’s 161-3 and they were 61* off 59 balls from Estella Wallace and was well supported by Lucy Campbell who fell just short of her fifty being run out on 49. In reply St Mary’s never managed to build meaningful partnerships and will regular wickets falling, Heaton’s score was always going to be out of reach. St Mary’s were dismissed in the 17^th over with 54 runs on the scoreboard. Leading wicket taker for Heaton was Niamh McKenzie who secured the economical figures of 3-3 off 3 overs.