Gillette Cup
School Cricket
Sponsorship by Gillette (NZ) Ltd enabled this competition to commence in 1990. It provides the opportunity for every boys' or co-educational secondary school in New Zealand to participate in a limited overs knockout cricket competition.
Each Major Association finds their finalists through a knockout competition to attend to national tournament in December.
2011 Auckland Gillette Cup Competition
Kings College v St Kentigern College - Lloyd Elsmore 1
King's College secured an emphatic victory in the 2011 Auckland qualifying competition for the Gillette Cup, thus earning an opportunity to defend their 2010 national title. The final was hosted by the Howick Pakuranga club who produced an excellent wicket which offered rewards for accurate bowling.
St Kentigern won the toss and chose to bat with Harrison Nash and Ben Horne opening the attack for King's. The batsmen soon realised that they would be tested but, apart for one squandered chance at slip off Harrison Nash, they batted sensibly. After 17 runs had been added Ben Horne made a breakthrough in the eighth over and thereafter wickets fell at regular intervals. Harrison nabbed the next one when Travis Sherlock fenced at a rising delivery only to touch it to Tom Donnelly. In his next over he gained the prized scalp of the St Kentigern captain, Reve Anstis, who sliced one to Cameron Gibbons at backward point (23-3).
Two runs later Michael Haddleton induced an error from Nick Kelly who prodded one to Harrison Nash at cover. With two prime batsmen dismissed without scoring St Kentigern were in deep trouble. Simon Hickey joined the attack and pressure was maintained. He snuffed out a partial recovery by trapping Matt Ellis in front and then a sharp slip catch by Mark Chapman removed the potentially explosive Harry Lyford for no score (50-6). The first boundary of the innings came in the 19th over and the next was a six off a Simon Hickey full toss by Devon Jones.
Hickey gained immediate revenge by having an attempted repeat of the shot caught comfortably by Luke Williamson at mid-off. His fourth and final wicket came a few runs later with another easy LBW decision. Drinks were taken with St Kentigern on 70-8 after 34 overs. Harrison Nash returned and began with a wide but four balls later the innings was over thanks to another Mark Chapman catch and a final, stumps hitting delivery. All the bowlers had bowled well, Simon Hickey in particular. He conceded 10 runs in two deliveries and his other 58 deliveries captured four wickets and conceded just 7 runs. Harrison Nash with 4 victims, including the captain, only gave away 14 runs.
St Kentigern must have been demoralised by their batting performance. When Nick Kelly's fourth delivery was fiercely swept to the boundary it seemed certain that it would not be their day. The opening partnership between Ben Horne and Cameron Gibbons put on 34 runs, many of which were extras. Simon Hickey survived one early scare but then he and Cameron put St Kentigern to the sword. Two massive sixes over mid-wicket by Simon Hickey sealed the victory which came in the 15th over. King's can now look forward to travelling to Lincoln in early December for the Gillette Finals.
St Kentigern College 71 (Simon Hickey 4/19, Harrison Nash 3/14) lost to Kings College 74/1
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