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Tauranga Girls to National Finals

Tauranga Girls College to NZCT Secondary Schoolgirls National Finals

Tauranga Girls College, have earned the right to represent Northern Districts at the NZCT Secondary Schoolgirls National Finals, to be played in Christchurch 1st to 4th December 2016,

The Tauranga Girls side, represented Bay of Plenty at the ND Nationals qualification tournament played in Hamilton last week (4/5 April 2016). The team is a good mixture of several players with Bay of Plenty senior women experience in Briana Perry, Holly Topp and Nensi Patel and passionate school players. The team has been strengthened in term one, by the addition of three Tauranga Intermediate players, who represented their school at the NZ Post Shield National Primary School Finals in December 2015.

Inclement weather resulted in the games being transferred to artificial wickets at Hillcrest and Steele Park. First up, Tauranga Girls squared off with 2015 ND titleholders Whangarei Girls High School at Hillcrest Park. The Bay of Plenty bowling attack ripped through their opponents, to roll them for just 32. 

Nensi Patel tool three wickets at a cost of just 4 runs, with Paris Roberts (2/5) and Christina Gatensy-Hansen (2/6) grabbing two cheap wickets apiece. A cautious approach to the modest target, saw victory come in the eleventh over. Victory in the second game on day one, came by way of default, when Pukekohe High School decided to forfeit the match because of other school sporting commitments. 

Tauranga Girls again dominated their opponents in the opening game on day two. Nensi Patel took three wickets for 10 runs, as Hillcrest College were removed for 68. Keeper Holly Topp was in top form behind the stumps effecting two run outs. The Western Bay school reached their target in the 10th over, with skipper Briana Perry leading from the front with her sides top score of 35.

An unbeaten record on Pool A, saw Tauranga Girls College square off with Gisborne Girls High School, for the right to represent Northern Districts at the National Finals. The Poverty Bay representatives were restricted to 59/9, by line and length bowling from the Bay of Plenty team. Solid batting from Briana Perry, Holly Topp and Nensi Patel got their team home to victory. 

Nensi Patel finished as the tournament top bowler, with nine wickets at a cost of just 18 runs. Briana Perry was her team’s top scorer with 59 runs, with Nensi Patel and Holley Topp also making solid contributions with the bat. 

Tauranga Girls College Team
Briana Perry (captain), Holly Topp (vice-captain), Taylah Stack, Brooke Taylor, Georgia Bartlam, Rebecca Richard, Meila Eades, Ella Steenson, Nensi Patel, Paris Robertson, Christina Gatensby-Hansen, Shay Little.
Coach: Anna Larsen-Leach