New Plymouth causes surprise in Schools' tournament

New Plymouth Girls' High School caused a boilover on the first day of the Yoplait Cup tournament by dishing out a 100-run hiding to tournament favourites Timaru Girls' High School at Christchurch's Ilam Ground today.

New Plymouth openers Amy Mason and Rachael Priest had an great opening partnership of 207 runs. Mason scored 80 and Priest 72, but once they were out, the rest of the innings was in trouble with the side collapsing to 232/9 after 40 overs.

Maria Fahey took 4-37 for Timaru, including a triple-wicket maiden. However, the TGHS bowling was untidy with 62 wides and no balls conceded.

In reply, TGHS could score only 132/9 in its 40 overs. Fahey backed her bowling effort by scoring 24 and Kyla Welsh hit 31.

Mason was the pick of the New Plymouth bowlers with 2-29 off eight overs.

Epsom Girls' High School were 166/9 at the end of their 40 overs. Rosamund Kember scored 49 and Priscilla Duncan 36. Sarah Duthill took 3-35 for Napier Girls' High School.

Napier was all out for 116 in its reply. Zara McWilliams scored 28 not out and Morgan Walsh took 4-22.

New Plymouth will play Epsom Girls' tomorrow.

In the Gillette Cup being played at Hamilton's Galloway Park, Auckland Grammar School was put in to bat against Wanganui Collegiate. In its 50 overs Auckland Grammar scored 230/9 with Gene Anderson scoring 69 and Keiran McMillan 51 during a 112-run second wicket partnership.

Raj Sharma scored 45 while Richard Wyllie took 5-35 from his 10 overs.

Wanganui could not withstand the medium-fast bowling of Mark Pearson who produced a Gillette Cup bowling record when taking 7-32 from his 10 overs. Wanganui was all out for 105 and Pearson bettered the 1993 record of Palmerston North Boys' High School (PNBHS) player Brett Davis who took 6-27 against Thames College.

King's High School of Dunedin batted first against PNBHS and scored 200. Shell Series player Brendon McCullum scored 65 for Kings while Nathan King scored 42. For PNBHS, Sam Gillespie took 4-35 from nine overs.

In a game that went right down to the last over, PNBHS won the game with five balls and one wicket to spare. Fifth-former Craig Clare scored 55 to hold the middle-order together while Scott Larsen hit 27, Jarrod Smith 21 and Luke Toynbee 22 not out. Leg-spinner William Henry took 3-34 for Kings and McCullum 3-38