Boys' High 1st XI Cricket win Senior Men's Champs

Hamilton Boys' High School 1st XI have enhanced the school's reputation for sporting excellence by easily winning the Hamilton club cricket championship final against Melville at Galloway Park on Saturday.

At the start of the season, two experienced club cricketers, Anton Devcich and Sam McLeod, both recent past pupils of the school, were recruited to bolster the school side's playing strength. Those two produced the goods at the right time on Friday, on the opening day of the three-day final after HBHS had won the toss and elected to bat.

Devcich (195) and McLeod (144) came together after HBHS had lost four early wickets and then proceeded to forge a fifth wicket partnership of 331, which placed their side in a position from which they could never lose the final. And, so it proved. Boys High were eventually all out for a mammoth total of 515 soon after lunch on the second day.

Melville never really fired in pursuit of that daunting total, after their long stint fielding in the hot, sunny conditions. Hayden Cargo (55) was the only score of note as Melville dribbled through to 145 all out in reply, later in the day.

Scott Kuggeleijn was the main bowling destroyer for the school side, taking 5-33 from his 16.1 overs of medium-paced bowling.

HBHS then batted again and were 69 without loss at stumps on the second day before the captains of both teams agreed to curtail the match at that point, with victory for the school side the inevitable and only possible result.

After winning the championship final, the Chris Kuggeleijn-coached HBHS side have now added the Howden Cup to the other trophies won this season. HBHS had earlier won the Eddy Marr Bowl, as top qualifier for the championship final, and also the Hec Holland Plate for the limited overs competition.

Only the Twenty20 competition, in which they were runners-up, eluded HBHS and prevented the school side from a clean sweep of all Hamilton cricket silverware this season.

Article: John Holt, Waikato Times, 6.4.09