Historic shield to make a comeback

Wellington’s high school cricketers have extra motivation to win the Wellington qualifying round for the New Zealand Secondary Schools Cup.

The winner of next Monday’s final will also claim the Heathcote Williams Shield, which has been sitting in the New Zealand Cricket Museum at the Basin Reserve for the last 30 years.

The shield was originally awarded in 1908 by the founding president of the New Zealand Cricket Council, EH Williams, and was originally played for by all schools in New Zealand.

The inaugural winners were Christchurch Boys’ High Schoo. It became a challenge shield from there, going in and out of popularity for the next 80 years before it was retired to the museum in 1987.

An initiative between Cricket Wellington, College Sport Wellington and the museum has seen it revived, with the winner of this week’s competition to then defend it at every home game, along the same lines as rugby’s Moascar Cup.

A set of playing conditions and rules will be drawn up over the winter, with the first challenges coming when the cricket season resumes at the end of the year.

The qualifying competition was meant to start on Saturday, but Wellington’s weather delayed it until Monday.

Hutt International Boys’ School, St Pat’s Town, St Pat’s Stream and Wellington College were all winners on the first day.

Yesterday’s second day saw Stream roll Onslow for 41 before winning by eight wickets, while HIBS were 83-run winners over Town to go top of pool A.