2023/24 NZC GILLETTE U19 MEN'S TOURNAMENT
Round Five • Wednesday, 6 December 2023
Auckland U19 lost to Canterbury U19 by 34 runs - SCORECARD
Wellington U19 lost to Otago U19 by 3 wickets - SCORECARD
Central Districts U19 defeated Northern Districts Under 19 by 4 wickets - SCORECARD
Defending champion Wellington Under 19 will meet this year's standout side, Auckland Under 19 in the trophy match at tomorrow's Gillette Men's Under 19 Nationals.
Everything was riding on a dramatic fifth round of one-day action in Lincoln today, where frontrunners Auckland suffered their first loss all week at the hands of Canterbury.
Central Districts nailed their first win of the tournament against ND; and Wellington snuck through to the 1v2 Final on net run rate - by a whisker, after Otago won their big game but couldn't quite beat the maths to secure the spot for themselves.
Otago U19 will now meet Canterbury U19 tomorrow in an all South Island 3v4 playoff for the bronze medal, while a rematch is in store for the two Districts teams in the 5v6 playoff.
All three matches will begin in Lincoln at 9.30am, with the 1v2 Final between Auckland and Wellington livestreamed on NZC YouTube, nzc.nz livescoring and the NZC app.
AUCKLAND U19 v CANTERBURY U19
Auckland hadn't been beaten all week after a solid Nationals, while Canterbury had taken two wins and two losses heading into the last round robin match on Bert Sutcliffe Oval. Today, the wind had mercifully eased somewhat for all the teams, and bright sunshine continued to bless all the proceedings on a very important day. Canterbury captain Robbie Foulkes won the toss and batted, sharing a 46-run opening stand with Toby Robinson (33) before Harry Cullen-Hieatt broke through with the skipper's wicket in the ninth over. Canterbury then suffered something of a collapse as tight allrounder Josh Olliver (2/19) and sharp, tall right-armer Harry Sixton (3/47) caused some havoc. But Canterbury recovered from 87/4 in the 18th to be 154/4 thanks to Ben Trillo (35) and Marlborough expat Tim Petrie (71 not out off 91 balls). They produced a 67-run stand to get their team back into the contest, Canterbury eventually reaching 251 before they were bowled out with just one ball left in the innings. That was a good chase on the Bert, and when Auckland lost their big wickets early, Canterbury was off to a flier with the ball. Opener James Nelson and first drop Tom Jones were both gone at 25/2 in the seventh, George Gunn having accounted for both of them. Luke Watson soon joined them as Auckland crashed to 54/3. Number four Lachie Stackpole (48) was trying to hold it together for someone else to bat around him, but Canterbury kept the heat on and broke through at regular intervals. Despite some late resistance from Cambell Brighouse (39) and Matthew Ross (47) at eight, the collective Canterbury attack had come up with the upset win, dismissing the Aucklanders in just the 43rd over for 217 - a satisfying 34-run win to the hosts.
WELLINGTON U19 v OTAGO U19
Another big-scoring match on Lincoln No.3 had both teams fighting for the last spot in the 1v2 Final. Otago won the toss and sent Wellington in, and will have been pleased to have had them two down inside the first nine overs - with the dangerous duo of Henry Christie (30) and Will Julian (6) both back in the tent at 53/2. Christie had done enough to finish the round robin as the top tournament run-scorer, with an aggregate of 351 runs, one more than Auckland's James Nelson. Wellington captain Oscar Jackson played a captain's knock, stabilising and cementing the innings with the equal top score of 79 - matched by his number six, Dylan McArdle who added his quick hitting power again, with two sixes and seven boundaries today. Together with Ari Bonar's 37, also at better than run-a-ball, it ensured Wellington put a strong total on the board with 308 for six in their 50. But even after the quick loss of star opener Hugo Bogue, Otago would find that surmountable - thanks to a brilliant innings of 121 off just 78 balls from Zac Cumming at six. Cumming smashed 12 boundaries and five sixes to take the game away from Wellington, and he was well aware Otago needed to elevate their net run rate in order to clinch a spot in the big final and contest the silverware. He had good support from his teammates as Otago dashed home in 46.1 overs, yet their bold three-wicket victory over the defending champs still wasn't quite enough to edge them into second spot. Otago and Wellington had ended the round robin phase level on points, Wellington with a net run rate of 1.18 and Otago only just missing out with an NRR of one. They would face Canterbury, now, in the 2v3 playoff, also on Lincoln No.3.
CENTRAL DISTRICTS v NORTHERN DISTRICTS U19
Central Districts put together a team effort to get up for their first win on the last day of the round robin. CD showed plenty of character as they stayed in the fight against their Districts cousins, with both teams having already been destined to meet in Saturday's wooden spoon Final before today's game. ND U19 captain Lucas James won the toss on Lincoln Green and asked CD to bowl, and put on 57 for the first wicket before seaming Jett Donald-Charnley has the first breakthrough. The burly Manawatū youngster was going to have his best day of the tournament with his all-round performance, going on to nab 4/47 and then help bring home victory with an unbeaten 24* off 22 balls. With the ball, Donald-Charnley had great support from the strong young Napier Boys' High scion Charlie Geange, who took 3/30 and helped rout the middle order. Only number five Aryan Mann got going for ND with a top score of 68, but he struggled to find someone to stay with him and build a partnership until the tailenders came in and contributed handy runs. ND found themselves on the back foot, bowled out for 199 in 38 overs and CD had their first sniff of a win, if they could build momentum in the chase. It was a good team effort, Van Prenter getting the side off to a healthy start with 43 at the top, and Ethan Campbell, captain George Mowat and the tall and elegant Sam Payne sharing the workload as they kept the required run rate in check. ND kept fighting and got CD six down, but couldn't prevent them from getting across the finish line with 7.3 overs to spare. Both teams now had one win from their five games, and would square off again in the 5v6 final tomorrow on the same ground.
