Otago Boys’ High School decided to bat first after winning the toss. Opening batsman Will Kindley put in a solid performance for over two hours at the crease, scoring 81 runs. The school’s middle order kept the runs ticking over but struggled to produce any long partnerships. Team manager Sam Blakely sums up the batting: “In the middle period, we lost a bunch of wickets all at the same time – it really set us back.”
Otago Boys’ High School reached 222 runs with the tenth wicket falling in the last over. Mt Albert Grammar’s Jared Donnell was the best of the bowlers taking four wickets.
At the start of the second innings Blakely said “We need to take all the chances we can get. The guys need to make sure they’re alive in the field and ready for the ball.”
That direction saw Mt Albert reach 50 runs in 89 balls.
The Otago Boys’ bowlers did a great job of keeping the pressure on. It was a spirited fielding effort including three run outs; two of them hitting the stumps from afar. Mt Albert was all out for 178 after 45 overs.
