New Zealand: Timaru Girls' High leads cricket charge (27 May 1998)

27 May 1998

Timaru Girls' High leads cricket charge

by Geoff Longley

Despite seeking a third national secondary school girls cricket championship later this year, Timaru Girls' High School has its toughest games within Canterbury.

Coach-manager Bill Baillie said the four regional finals Timaru have contested have been harder matches than playing at the four-team finals at Palmerston North in December.

"The strength of the sport really is in Canterbury," Baillie says.

"Things will probably change as more resources are spread into the game. For us to win from a school of just 350 girls is a pretty good effort."

However, he acknowledged how hard the schools had been pushed at Canterbury level by Christchurch Girls' High and last season Avonside Girls' High.

Baillie said Timaru's run might never have started had it not been fortunate to have a washed out game against Christchurch Girls' High in 1995 when it was looking like being beaten but played better when the game was replayed the next day.

Timaru finished second at the Yoplait Cup contest three years ago and has won the title for the last two seasons. Its dominance last season was displayed by its winning margins of nine wickets, nine wickets, and eight wickets.

This December, though, Timaru will not have some of the stalwarts of its success with star all-rounder Haidee Tiffin having finished school.

"It's not all Haidee though, but she is a very good player," Bailie said.

Tiffin's ability has been recognised at higher level, being called into the Canterbury team last season for the national tournament, inclusion in the New Zealand A team and recently being named in the national women's squad.

The other constant has been technical coach Murray Jack, a former Canterbury first-class cricketer of the 1950s.

"Murray has been great. He has plenty of time for practices and gives the girls all the pointers they could wish for."

Baillie said the side had indoor nets in winter to keep the group going.

Leading players who have been to the fore last season include Alice Baillie, who is the sole survivor of the side which first qualified four seasons ago. She is the captain and opening bat.

She opens with Selena Charteris, who is also a successful spin bowler. Other key players are Megan Wakefield who is an opening bowler and top order batsman, and Maria Fahey, a top-order bat and slow bowler.

Baillie said that six of the side were South Canterbury provincial and age-group representatives.

He said the experience gained from playing in the senior competition, which it had won for the last three seasons, and representative ma-tches was invaluable in preparing the team for the finals' weekend.

Baillie said Jack and he instilled in the side the game's traditions which he believed had helped unite the side under pressure.

Each member is supplied with dress gear and a monogrammed playing kit. A Confederate flag was gained and flown at the finals proclaiming Timaru the Southern Rebels.

Baillie said the team's success had raised the profile of women's cricket in the region. "It is now 'cool' for primary schoolgirls to play cricket and aspire to play at higher levels."

Source :: The Canterbury Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)