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Aquinas College to play at ND First XI playoffs

Aquinas College to play at ND First XI playoffs

Posted: Friday, 24 March 2017

The progress of the Aquinas College cricket pathway, in the thirteen years since the Western Bay of Plenty secondary school was established, is no better exemplified than Aquinas College qualifying for the ND (Northern Districts) NZ Cricket First XI Cup finals to be played in Hamilton next week (27/31 March 2017)

The Secondary School Boys’ First XI Cup (First XI Cup) is a secondary school competition for Year Nine to Thirteen boys. The First XI Cup began in 1990 and is among the longest-running competitions in secondary school sport. The competition provides the opportunity for players to compete against some of the best school teams in the country with many Black Caps and first-class cricketers having made their name in this tournament.

Aquinas College, have won six straight games since term one of the 2017 school year kicked off. First up the Aquinas First XI emerged triumphant from three rounds of the blast of T16 cricket. They chased down 89 and won by six wickets against Western Heights High School, before bowling Bethlehem College out for 60 and getting home with four wickets to spare. In the final T16 encounter, Aquinas posted an impressive 128 runs in the match-up with Mount Maunganui College and then removed them fifty runs short of their target.

The second phase of qualifying for the ND First XI Cup Finals, took place at the Bay of Plenty/Poverty Day T20 Finals at the Gordon Spratt Reserve in Papamoa. Aquinas College reached 105 all out against Bethlehem College and then bowled them out for 87, to claim a hard fought 18 run win. 

Gisborne Boys High School, who play (Secondary School) Super Eight cricket were the last hurdle before the next step of the Aquinas journey. The Poverty Bay representatives mustered 106, before the Western Bay side got home with six wickets in hand.

The Aquinas journey to ND First XI Finals week, continued at the Manukau War Memorial Park in Counties Manukau territory. A win against Hillcrest High School in their first game, qualified the Bay of Plenty winners for next week’s playoffs. Aquinas bowled the Hamilton City team out for just 71 and cruised to a nine wicket victory. What was particular satisfying was that the Waikato School had knocked Aquinas out of last season’s title race.

While both Aquinas College and opponents Pukekohe High School had qualified for Finals week, the encounter between the two sides, was to decide the ND 2017 Secondary Schools T20 title. Aquinas batted first and were bowled out for 140 in the regulation twenty overs before Pukekohe won the match from the last ball of the game. 

This is the first time that Aquinas College have qualified for the ND Secondary School Championship Finals. They will meet fellow Western Bay School Tauranga Boys College, Hamilton Boys College, St Pauls Collegiate, Whangarei Boys High School and Pukekohe High School. The six teams will contest fifty over per side games, in a round robin format, with the tournament winner representing Northern Districts at the NZ Cricket National Finals in Term Four. 

Aquinas First XI to play at ND First XI Cup Tournament @ Jansen Park, Hamilton 27th – 31st March 2017
Louis Robinson (Capt) Fergus Lellman (V-Capt) Carson Wills, George Catto, Darcy Hoskin, Finn Dempsey, Ben Woodrow, Joel Hayes, Sean Mullaly, Brendan Fletcher, Willow Purden-Winters, Cypress Purden-Winters, Toby Taylor.

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