New Plymouth Boys' are the 2016/17 champions of the NZCT Junior Secondary School Boys tournament after producing their best performance of the week.
Round Five
Hamilton Boys’ High School 112-9 (J. Parker 36, E. Arora 3-12, M. Stewart 3-23) lost to Auckland Grammar School 113-3 off 26.1 overs (K. Minhar 52, J. Parker 3-18)
With both sides still having a mathematical chance of winning the competition, the final round match between Hamilton Boys’ High School and defending champions Auckland Grammar School was a critical clash. Auckland Grammar sent Hamilton Boys’ into bat, and at 39-0 it didn’t look like a great decision, but a great spell from Jeet Bhatia flipped the match on its head. Three wickets from Bhatia sparked a series of breakthroughs, and at 9-78 looked it was going to be an early innings break. A last wicket partnership of 34-runs gave Hamilton Boys’ a total of 112 to defend, decent but still somewhat under-par.
Hamilton Boys’ needed early wickets, but a 70-run opening partnership led Auckland Grammar to their third victory of the tournament. K Minhar set up the defending champions result with a superb 52 from 55 balls, a knock which included seven fours and a six. They reached Hamilton Boys’ total with 13.5 overs remaining and seven wickets in hand.
Wellington College 150 all out off 38.5 overs (J. Vandenberg 75, M. Putt 3-21) beat King’s High School 133 all out from 32.1 overs (B. Wheeler-Greenall 57, J. Gilbert 43, B. Baker 3-31)
Wellington College decided to bat first against King’s High School and captain Jakob Vandenberg would have been grateful they did. The captain hit a tournament-high 75, hitting eight boundaries during his 32 over stint at the crease. He helped Wellington College reach 150, before the side from the capital lost their final wicket during the 39th over. The King’s High School coach would have been stoked with his sides effort in the field after they took five run-outs and two catches.
Beckham Wheeler-Greenall gave his side an explosive start, smashing 57 from 48 balls including ten fours. Jacob Gilbert supported his captain with a 43, but no other King’s High School batsmen managed double figures, eventually losing their final wicket 17 runs short. Max Sargentina, Jacob Vandenberg and Alex Blacktop all grabbed a brace of wickets, while Ben Baker pitched in with three scalps.
St Bede’s College 45 all out off 21.5 overs (J. McGrath 6-22) lost to New Plymouth Boys’ High School 46-0 from 6.1 overs
The final match of the tournament saw the most incredible result. St Bede’s won the toss and decided to bat, and just 21.5 overs later they would have been questioning their decision after they were bowled out for 45. Jason McGrath led the way for New Plymouth Boys’ High School, finishing with figures of 6-22 from his eight overs.
Earlier in the tournament New Plymouth Boys’ nearly fell chasing a score under 80, but this time there was no doubt in the result. Openers, Sebastian Lauderdale-Smith (24*) and Ben Olliver (15*) took their side past St Bede’s total during the seventh over. The result confirmed them as champions of the NZCT Junior Secondary Boys’ tournament.
Round Four
Rain meant there was no play during round four.
Round Three
The third round of the competition saw the defending champions drop their first match of the tournament.
King’s High School 166-6 (J. Murray 62, B. Wheeler-Greenall 32) lost to Hamilton Boys’ High School 167-9 off 39.2 overs (J. Parker 55, L. Cowan 3-23)
Coming into the clash it looked as if it was Hamilton Boys’ to lose, but after a couple of brilliant individual performances from the King’s High School players the match went down to the final over. King’s were sent into bat and made good use of the early morning conditions, scoring a very respectable 166-6 from their 40 overs. Jacob Murray led from the top of the order with a tournament high of 62, batting patiently throughout his innings. Murray also had good support from captain Beckham Wheeler-Greenall (32) and opening partner Zeke Buschl (24.) Both Hamilton Boys’ captain, Jacob Parker and opening bowler Harry Russ picked up a brace of wickets.
In reply, Jacob Parker continued his fine tournament with his third score above 40 in a row, this time reaching his half-century. Wickets consistently fell around him, so much so that when he was out leg before, the score was 149-9. With seven overs remaining it could have gone either way, with King’s confident they could pick up their first win of the tournament. Hamilton Boys’ number 10 and 11 stayed calm, taking their time knowing that there were only 18 runs needed. With four balls remaining the winning runs were hit, a tough result for the southern school, but for Hamilton Boys’ to be able to hold their nerve showed how they should certainly be seen as title contenders.
New Plymouth Boys’ High School 174-9 (J. Parker 49, B. Olliver 34) beat Auckland Grammar School 118-9 (J. Irwin 48*, E. Dower 3-21)
The crunch match of the round was with two sides who had both won their first two matches. New Plymouth Boys’ were sent into bat on a wicket that had yet to see a score above 90 in the tournament, but New Plymouth Boys’ certainly changed that. A Jack Parker 49 set up the innings of 174-9, but cameos from Benjamin Olliver (34), and Hamish Coombe (21) helped New Plymouth reach the second highest total of the tournament thus far.
Auckland Grammar needed a positive start but a run-out, and some tight bowling meant that the required rate had lifted significantly after ten overs. In the space of the next four overs Auckland Grammar lost three wickets, meaning it was going to take some special to reach New Plymouth Boys’ total. It wasn’t meant to be, with Ethan Dower putting Auckland Grammar under more pressure by taking 3-21 from his eight overs. Auckland Grammar managed to bat out their overs, but were 56-runs short at the end of their allotted 40 overs.
Wellington College 174-9 (S. French 38*) lost to St Bede’s College (J. McSweeney 54, M. Boyle 36, S. Kreft 30*)
The final match of round three was slightly odd affair, with the games balance constantly switching between the two sides. Wellington College were sent in and with 17.4 overs remaining in their innings, Wellington College were stuttering at 82-7. Quite incredibly the side from the capital ended up batting out their overs, with Sam French playing a wonderful 38*. French developed partnerships with Wellington College’s number nine and ten, before combining with Ben Baker for a 38-run final wicket stand. Baker scored 24 from 22 balls, with the pair frustrating the St Bede’s bowlers for the final five overs.
Matthew Boyle had impressed in the previous round and again caught the eye with several superb straight drives and powerful pulls. At 36, he was undone by a ripper of a delivery from Alex Blacktop, a moment in the game that spectators thought had turned the match around. However, the dismissal brought together James McSweeney and Sam Sandford, who made sure St Bede’s stayed on track with a 67-run partnership. Sandford was caught for 28, before McSweeney fell for 54. Again, it looked like the match was turning in Wellington College’s favour, but a 30* from wicket-keeper Sam Kreft got St Bede’s across the line for their first win of the competition.
Round Two
Day two of the NZCT Junior Secondary School finals saw three terrific battles, as all three sides that picked up victories during round one had to fight hard to make it two from two.
Auckland Grammar School 167 all out off 19.5 overs (J. Stephan 48, L. Marconi 39, E. Caddick 4-9) beat St Bede’s College 150 all out off 38.3 overs (M. Boyle 53, Sandford 36*, E. Arora 3-25)
The first match of the second round of the NZCT Secondary School Boys’ finals featured the classic Auckland v Canterbury rivalry, with defending champions Auckland Grammar going up against St Bede’s College. The first innings was an innings of two halves, with Auckland Grammar dominating early on, before witnessing a St Bede’s fight back. Opener Leon Marconi and number three Josh Stephan set the innings up with a 90-run partnership for the second wicket, with Marconi scoring 39 while Stephan top scored with 48. Both batsmen fell in quick succession, sparking a small collapse courtesy of a terrific spell from Elliot Caddick. The nephew of former English-quick Andrew Caddick turned the innings around, with his eight overs producing four wickets for just nine runs. Grammar hustled their way to 167 before they lost their final wicket off the second-to-last ball of the innings.
In reply, Matthew Boyle played a very mature openers knock to put St Bede’s into a solid position to chase Auckland Grammar’s sizeable total of 167. When Boyle was caught off the bowling of Eshaan Arora for 53 the match changed completely. A string of wickets fell courtesy of bowling from Luke Dale and Arora, leaving St Bede’s stuttering at 7-88. This brought to the crease Sam Sandford who gave his side a glimmer of hope. However, Sandford ran out of partners at 35*, leaving St Bede’s 17 runs short of defeating the defending champions.
King’s High School 70 all out off 31.2 overs (E. Dower 5-14, J. McGrath 3-7) lost to New Plymouth Boys’ High School 71-8 off 26.1 overs (M. Putt 6-14)
King’s High School chose to bat first against New Plymouth Boys’ High School during the second match of round two, a game which was played on the low-scoring pitch from the opening round of the competition. There was still some purchase in the pitch for the New Plymouth bowlers and they put pressure on the King’s High School batters. Other than a promising 26 for Beckham Wheeler-Greenall, the first innings was dominated by the New Plymouth bowlers. Jason McGrath had sensational figures of 3-7 from his eight overs, but the innings belonged to Ethan Dower who picked up the tournament’s first five-wicket bag. Downer wrapped up the tail with great skill, ending with figures of 5-14 from his 7.2 overs, helping dismiss King’s for 70 after 31.2 overs.
Chasing smaller totals can sometimes be the hardest and this match was a testament to that. After three overs, New Plymouth Boys’ High School were 2-8, and wickets continuously fell throughout the chase. At 6-57 the match was in the balance, but two wickets in two balls meant King’s High School were certainly on top. Mason Putt was the main threat with the ball, taking 4-14 from his six overs but a couple of boundaries from Chris Logan turned the tide again, and King’s High School couldn’t manage to find the last two wickets, with New Plymouth going past the target during the 27th over.
Wellington College 131 all out off 36.2 overs (R. Kleuskens 4-16) lost to Hamilton Boys’ High School 134-7 off 38.3 overs (J. Parker 45)
The final match of the round saw Wellington College bat first against one of the tournament favourites, Hamilton Boys’ High School. After 17 overs it looked as if Hamilton Boys’ would have a small total to chase with Wellington College sitting at 5-49. Jacob Troughton (27) and Kevin Weerasundara (21) made sure that didn’t occur, producing a partnership to get Wellington College back into the game. The side from the capital would have been disappointed to not bat out their allotted 40 overs, but a great performance with the ball from Rhys Kleuskens (4-16) meant Hamilton Boys’ went into the innings break feeling confident of chasing down 131.
After playing a true captains knock in round one, Jacob Parker once again impressed. With wickets falling around him, Parker was the anchor to the Hamilton Boys chase, hitting a steady 45 before being caught during the 34th over. Parker managed to get his side into a strong position but it was still anyone’s match with three wickets, or 19 runs needed from the final four overs. A couple of straight drives from Rhys Kleuskens got Hamilton Boys’ into a match winning position, and wicket-keeper Jack Myles held his nerve to give them a three-wicket victory.
Round One
The weather held off for a full day of cricket in Palmerston North, as defending champions Auckland Grammar along with Hamilton Boys' High School, and New Plymouth Boys' High School all picked up wins during round one.
St Bede’s College 81 all out off 32.1 overs (B. Sidhu 4-12) lost to Hamilton Boys’ High School 84-1 off 17.5 overs (J. Parker 48*)
An explosive opening spell from Shaanveer Bhatia set the tone for Hamilton Boys’ High School as they bowled Christchurch’s St Bede’s College for 81. Bhatia bowled Matthew Boyle during first over of the match before picking up his second during his next over. Harry Russ bowled an important spell, picking up 2-7 from his four overs as St Bede’s had a tough time, with just three of their batsman reaching double figures. Banroj Sidhu removed Nepia Crowe, who top scored for the Christchurch school with 18, before wrapping up the tail by taking three more wickets.
In reply, opener and captain Jacob Parker lead from the front with a match-winning 48*. Early on Parker helped himself to a number of loose deliveries before settling into picking up 1’s and 2’s. St Bede’s picked up their sole wicket off a mix-up between the openers. The Christchurch school will be looking to improve on their consistency after bowling 24 extras during their 17.5 overs, but defending 81 on a solid pitch is a tough ask for any bowling unit.
Auckland Grammar School 130 all out off 39.5 overs beat King’s High School 99 all out off 32.4 overs (B. Tomlinson 3-9)
A late flurry of runs from the Auckland Grammar lower order helped get the defending champions to 130 during their first innings of the NZCT Secondary Boys Tournament. The King’s High School bowlers made an economical start and nabbed their first wicket during the 14th over when the score was just 25-0. Three quick breakthroughs meant the Otago school were certainly on top. Opener Leon Marconi top scored for Auckland Grammar with 29 before he was fifth wicket to fall at 75-5. King’s opening bowler Ryan Watterston was brought back for a second spell by captain Beckham Wheeler-Greenall, and the decision paid dividends with Watterston taking two more wickets to leave the defending champions stuttering at 7-88. Number nine Ben Tomlinson played a crucial innings of 21*, helping bring Auckland Grammar to 130 before being bowled out off the second to last ball of the innings.
A slow start to the chase meant it was an uphill battle for King’s High School. However, with Beckham Wheeler-Greenall at the crease anything was possible, with the talented right-hander playing his side back into the game. With wickets falling around him, the pressure mounted and Eshaan Arora produced the crucial breakthrough of Wheeler-Greenall for 27. After the King’s captain fell wickets consistently occurred with Ben Tomlinson and Miller Stewart wrapping up the tail. The Otago side will go into tomorrow with confidence, after they pushed the defending champions but still fell 31 runs short.
New Plymouth Boys’ High School 180-9 (C. Logan 40, M. Sargentina 4-40) beat Wellington College 154-7 (D. McNaught 35, J. Vandenberg 32, L. Carr 3-46)
The final match of the round was fought between New Plymouth Boys’ High School and Wellington College, with the latter winning the toss and electing to bowl first. It took the school from the capital eight overs before breaking through with first-change bowler Max Sargentina picking up his first wicket. It sparked a very impressive performance for Sargentina, with the all-rounder finishing the innings with four wickets and a run-out. The standout for New Plymouth Boys’ was number three Chris Logan, who hit two fours and a six during his 48-ball 40. Logan and Thomas Graham combined for an innings high partnership of 55 before both batsmen fell in the space of three overs. Hamish Coombe helped his side reach 180-9 with an important contribution of 29 from 42 balls.
In reply, Wellington College had the worst start possible, losing a wicket off the second ball of the chase. However, with some good cricket they played their way back into the game with strong contributions from Jakob Vandenberg (32), Daniel McNaught (35) and Max Sargentina (28.) New Plymouth had bowled economically, meaning Wellington College needed some big hits at the end. It was a few too many runs for the Wellington school, eventually falling 26 short. Liam Carr picked up three wickets, while Jason McGrath and Chris Logan both impressed with their economical bowling.
