Masterclass in batting leads Otago BHS to qualify for National Finals

Caption for photo below: Otago Boys’ High School 1st XI: Top (from left) Max Chu, Jack Pryde, Joe Turner, Jarryd Taig, Gus Wood, Taine Bayly, Ken Rust (Coach) Bottom (from left) Tim Horton, Ben Lockrose, Jackson Miller, Cameron McAuslan, Declan Su’a, Hunter Kindley.

In beating Waitaki Boys' High School by 238 runs in the regional zone final of the NZ First XI Cup, Otago Boys’ High School qualified for the New Zealand Finals for the fifth time in the last six years. This will be played in December at Lincoln.

Waitaki Boys’, captained by NZ Under 19 player Nathan Smith, won the toss and asked Otago Boys’ to bat first.

What followed was a masterclass in batting from opening batsman and Otago Under 19 player Cameron McAuslan, who took complete control of the game in scoring 156 runs.

Mixing power and timing with precision placement, McAuslan dominated all of the Waitaki bowlers in a record-establishing innings. Nathan Smith did however, not go home empty-handed picking up five wickets along the way.

McAuslan was ably supported by Hunter Kindley (44), Max Chu (41) and Jarryd Taig (39). The team’s final total of 345 is believed to be a record for a zone final in Otago and Southland.

Needing to score at a rate of almost seven an over was always going to be a very difficult task for Waitaki and so it proved. Wickets fell at regular intervals in the face of accurate bowling from Tim Horton (3/12) and Joe Turner (2/26). The bowlers were supported by excellent fielding and catching.

Waitaki Boys’ were dismissed for 107.

The day earlier Otago Boys’ beat Southland Boy’s High School for a finals berth, while Waitaki Boys’ beat John McGlashan College.
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John McGlashan College beat Southland Boys’ in the play-off for third and fourth placing.
 

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