Christchurch Boys’ High School are the new Gillette Cup champions after winning an exhilarating game against Hamilton Boys’ High School at the finals of the national secondary schools cricket tournament in Palmerston North today.
In a modest-scoring match Christchurch batted first and were all out for 142. In response Hamilton looked headed for victory with four wickets in hand and only 16 runs to get – but lost their last four for just six runs to be all out for 132.
Christchurch’s assistant coach, Matthew Parr, was thrilled with the win. “The boys have put in such a gutsy effort over the past four days and they definitely deserve to take home the Gillette Cup.”
Parr added that the win was due to Coach Robert Dunne’s professionalism and expertise in developing the team, “He has done a fantastic job with coaching the boys.”
Matthew Rowe stood out as a star performer, however, Parr believes the all round effort made by the team contributed to the winning performance.
Christchurch had previously won the Gillette Cup four times, including three straight wins from 2005 to 2007.
Captain Tom Latham, son of former international cricket player Rod Latham, has played three times at the Gillette Cup Finals and it is the third time he has been in a victorious team. He was delighted with the result. “It’s a good feeling to have won the Gillette Cup, and it’s a good way to send off the year 13s” he said. “It really was a nail biter.”
The final came after four days of cricket that saw eight of New Zealand’s best secondary school teams played round-robin matches at Fitzherbert and Manawaroa Parks in Palmerston North.
In its twentieth year, the Gillette Cup Finals tournament is the show piece of New Zealand secondary school cricket and provides a solid foundation for developing elite cricketers of the future.
In the other finals matches, Palmerston North BHS beat Westlake BHS in the third and fourth place playoff, Otago BHS beat Whangarei HS for fifth place, while the seventh and eighth playoff was won by New Plymouth over St Patrick’s (Silverstream).
Gillette Cup Final scorecard
Christchurch Boys High School 142
(Rowe 31, Hodgson 28, Gibbens 23; Santner 2/23, Thomas 2/27) beat Hamilton Boys’ High School 132 (Bocock 43; Burnett 3/9, Van Worekum 2/25, Nuttall 2/25, Rowe 2/32)
