HBS book place in final
Hamilton Boys’ High School have secured their place in Hamilton club cricket’s Howden Cup final, with two two-day matches still left in the Eddy Marr Bowl competition.
The runaway competition leaders’ dominance was put under the microscope by Fraser-Tech on Saturday, but HBHS still managed to ease home by 65 runs and book their spot in the three-day final on March 31-April 2.
Last season’s runners-up now also only need 4.25 points (which should be comfortably achieved from batting and bowling bonus points) to ensure they finish as top qualifier, as they chase their first piece of silverware since 2014-15, and their first Howden Cup since 2009-10.
HBHS will still eye plenty of improvement in their game, after having to rely heavily on the fine all-round efforts of Ben Morris-Brown to get them across the line at the weekend, in a single-innings game at Galloway Park after day one was washed out.
After Craig Robb (3-37 off 10.1 overs) had struck twice early, fellow Fraser-Tech opening bowler Elliot Law (3-56 off 14) snared a hat-trick in ripping through the middle order, with HBHS falling from 59-2 to 65-5. On the final ball of his seventh over Law trapped Riyan Perera in front, then first ball of his next over he had key man Michael Dodunski caught for a golden duck, before then offering a short and wide one to Bodie Hodges, who hung his bat and snicked it low, with wicketkeeper Tim Pryce taking a good catch.
No 4 Jamie Moore (47) helped HBHS recover, but leftarm spinner Ryan Smith (3-28 off 10) ensured HBHS would slump to 122-9. However, No 11 Brayden Gaylor hung around for nine off 45 balls, while No 10 Morris-Brown scored a crucial 41 not out, in getting his side through to 175 all out in 47.1 overs.
And in the end, that proved plenty enough for HBHS, who were able to strike regularly during Tech’s chase. Five players made double figures but no-one was able to pass 27, as left-arm spinner Gaylor wreaked havoc through the middle with 4-23 off 10, before opening bowler Morris-Brown returned to wrap things up, claiming 4-15 off 8.4, as Tech were knocked over for 110 in 40.4 overs.
Tech remain in third place on the ladder, having fallen slightly further behind second-placed Old Boys, who played out a thrilling draw with fourth-placed Melville at Galloway Park.
Sent in, Old Boys fell to 28-3 and relied on several contributions from the middle and lower order, most notably from captain Jono McNeill, who top-scored with 42 at No 10, and who shared in a vital 72-run stand for the ninth wicket with No 9 Brad Perrett (32).
Eventually seamer Travis Bartels was able to dismiss the pair within four balls, and with it claimed a bag, finishing with 5-62 off 13, as Old Boys were all out for 212 in 56 overs.
That left Melville 45 overs for their chase. With McNeill striking a couple of times early they were set back to 39-2, but knocks of 40 off 49 from Alastair Blackett, 47 off 49 from Keir Bettley and 32 off 24 from Hayden Cargo, kept them in contention.
But just as Cargo was looking dangerous he was runout by Satvir Singh, and that made the equation 19 off 13, with three wickets in hand.
Bowling the penultimate over, Perrett had Stephen Sistern-Tate caught and rattled the poles of Bartels, to leave Melville nine down, needing 15 off seven. It was then a case of survival to deny Old Boys a couple of points and to keep themselves a couple too, with Gary Parmar able to see out the final over from left-arm spinner Michael Rowland.