College Sport Media
  • Home
  • About
  • Love what we do?
  • Articles
    • Athletics/XC
    • Bike
    • Bowls
    • Boxing
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Netball
    • Rowing
    • Rugby League
    • Rugby Union
    • Sailing
    • Softball
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Volleyball
    • Water Polo
    • Weight Lifting
    • Other
  • Videos!
  • Advertise with CSM
  • History of National Events
  • NZ Schools Rugby
    • NZS 2017
    • NZS 2015
    • NZS 2014
    • NZS 2013
    • NZS 2012
    • NZS 2011
    • NZS 2010
    • NZS 2009
    • NZS 2008
    • NZS 2007
    • NZS 2006
    • NZS 2005
    • NZS 2004
    • NZS 2003
    • NZS 2002
    • NZS 2001
    • NZS 2000
    • NZS 1999
    • NZS 1998
    • NZS 1997
    • NZS 1996
    • NZS 1995
    • NZS 1994/95 Tour
    • NZS 1994
    • NZS 1993
    • NZS 1992
    • NZS 1991
    • NZS 1990
    • NZS 1989
    • NZS 1988
    • NZS 1987
    • NZS 1986
    • NZS 1985
    • NZS 1984/85 Tour
    • NZS 1984
    • NZS 1983
    • NZS 1982
    • NZS 1981
    • NZS 1980
    • NZS 1979
    • NZS 1978
    • NZ Schools Stats
  • Index of Articles
  • Partners
  • Youth Olympics 2018,2020
  • Emerging Talent
  • College Rugby Draws
  • Home
  • About
  • Love what we do?
  • Articles
    • Athletics/XC
    • Bike
    • Bowls
    • Boxing
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Netball
    • Rowing
    • Rugby League
    • Rugby Union
    • Sailing
    • Softball
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Volleyball
    • Water Polo
    • Weight Lifting
    • Other
  • Videos!
  • Advertise with CSM
  • History of National Events
  • NZ Schools Rugby
    • NZS 2017
    • NZS 2015
    • NZS 2014
    • NZS 2013
    • NZS 2012
    • NZS 2011
    • NZS 2010
    • NZS 2009
    • NZS 2008
    • NZS 2007
    • NZS 2006
    • NZS 2005
    • NZS 2004
    • NZS 2003
    • NZS 2002
    • NZS 2001
    • NZS 2000
    • NZS 1999
    • NZS 1998
    • NZS 1997
    • NZS 1996
    • NZS 1995
    • NZS 1994/95 Tour
    • NZS 1994
    • NZS 1993
    • NZS 1992
    • NZS 1991
    • NZS 1990
    • NZS 1989
    • NZS 1988
    • NZS 1987
    • NZS 1986
    • NZS 1985
    • NZS 1984/85 Tour
    • NZS 1984
    • NZS 1983
    • NZS 1982
    • NZS 1981
    • NZS 1980
    • NZS 1979
    • NZS 1978
    • NZ Schools Stats
  • Index of Articles
  • Partners
  • Youth Olympics 2018,2020
  • Emerging Talent
  • College Rugby Draws
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

5/4/2017 Comments

From Famine To Feast – Tauranga Boys’ Make Cricket Nationals

Picture
From sixth in Super 8 to top six in New Zealand. In less than three months the reversal of form by the Tauranga Boys’ College First XI cricket team has been nothing short of remarkable. Captain Mikaere Leef is at a loss to explain his teams’ revival.


“It’s pretty interesting. I have always thought we had a team that was capable of winning Super 8, but we didn’t play well. I guess there’s been a huge attitude change. We had to harden up.” Leef theorises.

It’s the first time since 2011 Tauranga have qualified for Nationals and to accomplish that feat they had to win four matches on the trot against stiff opposition in the Northern Districts qualifiers in Hamilton.

In the first game Whangarei Boys’ High School won the toss and elected to bat on an artificial wicket but were shot out for 46. Rhys Mischewski took a wicket with the first ball of the tournament and stole the show with 6/12. He was well backed up by Finn Sears who took 2/7 off six overs and Ben Pomare who took four catches. Leef also took a great catch at gully and Scott Ellerington’s pinpoint boundary throw accounted for the last batsman. Tauranga chased down the target with 38 overs to spare.

In the second game Hillcrest High School asked Tauranga to bat first and Tauranga responded with 232/6 in a match reduced to 45 overs. Leef top-scored with 67 and then took three wickets as Tauranga achieved a crushing 156-run victory. Mischewski was to the fore again with 3/5 off six overs.



“Our fielding was a big part of our success. We really lifted our intensity and accuracy there, took our catches and put a lot of pressure on the batsmen.” Leef believes.

St. Paul’s Collegiate upset Hamilton Boys’ High School and had beaten Tauranga in their previous outing meaning they presented a tough assignment at home. Tauranga produced their best performance of the season to achieve a surprise win.

Leef finally won a toss and decided to bat first. Tauranga posted a reasonable 217 with Marcel Collett again top scoring with 63, adding 50 for the first wicket with Leaf (20) and 84 with Dominic Crombie (46). St Paul’s was bundled out for 161. Tas Carsons (whose brother Paddy was a rep cricketer at Hamilton BHS) took 3/29 off ten overs and removed a key batsman with an excellent boundary catch. He was well supported by Iman Singh who dried up the runs with 2/21 off 10 overs. St Paul’s at one stage were 95/4 but collapsed to 126/9 and a last wicket partnership of 35 was of little consequence.

The weather was consequential in the final fixture against Hamilton Boys’ High School. Typically foggy conditions made batting tough, but at least initially Tauranga started well adding 72 for the first wicket with Finn Sears belting 51. However Tauranga staggered and limped 189 off 50 overs.

Hamilton needed to make the target in 42 overs due to run rate considerations to eliminate Tauranga and qualify for a sixth consecutive Nationals. Hamilton started slowly, but responsibly to reach 47-1 after 17 overs at the drinks break. What happened next was dramatic.

“A Marcel Collett direct hit run out the Hamilton opener short of his ground. It was a great bit of fielding and triggered a collapse.” Leef recalls.

After 25 overs Hamilton was suddenly 68/6. Craig Baldry finished his spell with 2/30 from 10 overs and run outs by Leef and Collett had Hamilton on the ropes, a position from which they never recovered. Another run out by Mascall and 2/6 by Brad Howard wrapped up the match for Tauranga.

Leef regards himself as a batsman who “bowls a little pace or off spin. His highest score is 116 against Aquinas College and he has taken “a couple of four wicket bags.” He was a member of the Bay Coastland Under-19 team that won the Northern Districts regional competition in 2015/16.
​

In the winter he plays rugby and basketball. In September the First XI will make an historic tour to South Africa for three weeks, ideal preparation for Nationals in September when Tauranga will be looking to win their second National title. The last was in 2005 when New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was part of the squad. He was player of the tournament the next year.

Comments

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All

    Archives

    December 2022
    February 2022
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015

Organisation

College Sport Media is dedicated to telling the story of successful young sportspeople in New Zealand

Use of articles

All rights are reserved for commercial use.
Any Educational Institution or official sports governing body may use material with acknowledgement to College Sport Media 
© COPYRIGHT 2015.-2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.