Those were the words of captain, Mike Olsen, after comprehensively beating a tough Howick Pakuranga last Saturday.
It was in response to a comment, "you now know you can do it" - something we have believed for some time and yet, maybe the players were not yet sure of.
Understandably, as it has been 10 years since North Shore beat Howick Pakuranga in a Two-Day match!
Yet, apart from the first hour on the second day, HP did not win a session. And here's an interesting fact. In that game ten years ago, Ronnie Hira scored 112. On Saturday Ronnie bowled 18.2 overs, seven maidens, 25 for five.
This week's Contents... Coach's Comments
From the archives
Len Driver visits Shore
Match Reports
Why we wear the scimitars; Part 2.
TGS v Rosmini
Scimitar Supporters Club
Who, What, Where
Coach's Comments
"Last Saturday's game against Howick Pakuranga was probably our best win since I became the coach at the start of last season.
We may have won games that were slightly more important, but the quality of that Howick side is right up there, and our boys stood tall and showed them what we are about.
This season has been a tough one at times, and we haven't always put up the best results. But as the saying goes it's not how you start, it's how you finish, and at the most important part of the season our group is still working very hard to get better each week.
The performances and results are now starting to come with it.
Everything is now in front of us if we are good enough. Over the next two rounds, we play two sides above us on the points table in Takapuna and Auckland University, and we know we have our work cut out.
But we are also confident in what we are doing and look forward to testing ourselves against high-level competition."
Chris Reid
Coach
From the archives;
Eighty-Eight Years Ago
Today you've got to score for 13 years - then you get a life membership. Isn't that right, Shands?
Len Driver discusses the state of play with Premier Manager, Mike Duncraft.
Len Driver visits Shore
Last Saturday, shortly after the start of play, a gentleman and his wife arrived at Devonport Domain and began asking questions about North Shore. He was pointed in the direction of Roger Brittenden who, he was advised, knew all the history of the Shore.
"Hello," he said, " do you remember Ryan Driver?"
Well, who could forget Ryan!
"I'm his father," he proudly informed.
So, a delightful chat ensued that went on for nearly a full session! Ryan (left) was playing for Lancashire at the time and was employed as the North Shore Club Pro and Head Coach and arrived from England to take up the position with his lovely, charming girlfriend, Clare.
The first week he was here he had a meeting with the Junior Committee to discuss junior Coaching.
"How many juniors do you have?" he asked anticipating something like 20 - 25, like most of the clubs have in England.
"350," was the answer. Poor Ryan. He nearly fell off his chair.
He certainly went into a state of shock for a week.
But he then settled down and played some great cricket for us. And organised all the coaching, including the juniors!
His dad, Len, told us Ryan ended his cricket career a year or two after and went school teaching. Today Ryan is married to Clare, has two young boys and is teaching maths in Thailand - and starting up cricket teams, naturally.
It's funny the people you meet watching cricket. Len and his wife were on a long cruise and told us he couldn't believe his luck when he learned they were docking in Auckland on a Saturday. His wife asked if they should take a bus tour around Auckland. No way! Len was crossing the harbour and going to Devonport Domain to see the place his Ryan enjoyed so much.
We think Len did too.
We certainly did!
Match Reports
The team happily gather to celebrate the wicket of Donavan Grobbelaar,
bowled Hira, caught Wall, 33
Premiers
Howick Pakuranga started Day Two with some serious batting to do, but it was the spin twins of Ronnie Hira and Tendai Chitongo who helped North Shore take the spoils.
Day Two started with Brian Barnard and David Winn (30) at the crease, and the pair made North Shore work through the opening hour. Hira eventually got one to spin past Winn’s outside edge and into the right-hander’s off-stump to break a 96-run fifth-wicket partnership.
Barnard remained a threat to North Shore as the powerful right-hander went past fifty. Hira, though, was accurate and building pressure. The wicket of Bill Walsh followed, bringing Donovan Grobbelaar (30) to the crease. It was a tense battle for the next couple of hours as both Barnard and Grobbelaar showed all of their experience to edge closer and closer.
The North Shore spinners continued to test the Howick Pakuranga pair. Hira found some extra bite and Grobbelaar’s outside edge to break the threatening seventh-wicket stand. Tendai Chitongo followed it with the big wicket of Barnard, who chopped on a bouncy googly for a patient 104 off 164 balls.
Hira claimed the final two wickets, both leg-before, to finish with 5-25 as Howick Pakuranga were bowled out for 185, 77 runs short of Shore's total.
With no more points possible in the game, the two captains called the game off just before 4 pm.
A very solid win for Shore that now places them in fifth place on the points table.
North Shore 262 (G Beghin 67, A Wickramanayake 51, S Hinds 39, D Grobbelaar 5-47, R Botadra 3-61) and 7/1 defeated Howick Pakuranga 185 (B Barnard 104, D Grobbelaar 33, D Winn 30, R Hira 5-25) on first innings.
Premier Reserves Major The Reserve Team experienced a disappointing loss after they continued day two of their encounter against Parnell.
The day started off in the worse possible manner as a tough catch at slip went down, and in the process broke a finger.
Although the batsman was bowled out shortly after, the disruption to the cordon proved a burden as the other batsmen found himself lucky to survive after being dropped at gully and again at backward point.
As is often the way when it rains, it pours and another chance went down in the first hour.
As it turned out, giving that many lives can prove extremely costly and the number three batted extremely well afterwards, despite a little bit of luck here and there and we saw Parnell chase down the target with two support acts along the way.
After reaching the win, he took full liberty plundering a large 100, only getting out with a significant lead and one over left in the innings.
After a short time batting in the second dig, the game was called off as both teams agreed that no further result would be possible and the wicket was soon to be used as a new part of the ever-growing motorways of Auckland.
Fortunately, with all things cricket, there is always next week, and Shore will be at home on the Number One against Eden Roskill eager to make up for a really tough day at the office.
Sportslink International Premier Reserve Women
On a very windswept Huapai Domain, the Women's Premier Reserve team recorded its 5th win in a row.
It was one of those days when all the bowlers are just wishing that they could bowl with the wind – but three of us tried to find a rhythm, stay upright and bowl straightish into the gusts.
Well done to Rishika, Rhian and Alison for doing their best every ball. Then, at the other end, with the lucky bowlers getting in into a fine rhythm and whipping it down, there was our keeper Giselle, who put her body on the line a few times to stop the rockets.
The outfield was lightening quick – once past you, it was a four. The Kumeu openers batted well and even though we created chances we struggled to get our first wicket – until Maia Scott came on for her second spell.
WHAT AN OVER! First ball – off stump flew 5 metres back; Third ball – leg stump flew 5 metres back; Sixth ball – plumb LBW. A three-wicket maiden to end her spell at four overs, one maiden, three wickets, six runs– just fantastic! With wickets in hand, Kumeu ended with a flourish at 121/5.
With a lot of our team's more mature players not available for a few weeks, we are usually needing three to four U16 players each game – and they have been performing really well. Today was no exception with Maia opening the batting with Alison and together they put on 73 runs in 8 overs. Rishaka joined Maia and they played some beautiful shots to see us home for the loss of only one wicket. Maia scored her highest score, 43 off 44 balls, and was a well-deserved MVP for the game.
This week continued the tradition of offering another mother-daughter cricket experience – Mel and Maia Scott. Seems to happen quite a bit with this team as also had Jo and Izzy Fox join us this summer. It’s great to see and the Mums just love it.
So if you are the mum of an enthusiastic cricketer and want to play, you can either come down to the Friday Tonk social competition (6pm Feb 28th, March 13th) or come to a hardball practice at the nets - 4.30 – 5.30pm every Friday.
Why we wear the Scimitars; Part 2.
So, last week we learnt from Bill Crump that the scimitars were gifted to us by Middlesex County Cricket Club.
But that still doesn't tell us what the scimitars mean.
Here's an explanation;
The curved, one-sided scimitar was a feared, death weapon used only to attack, never defend. Although it was used predominantly during the Middle Ages, it came originally from pre-biblical times in Persia where it was the weapon of choice of warrior horsemen.
Heavy, it has had an extremely sharp edge along the whole length of the outside curve and was never used for delicate, defensive parrying. Rather, it was swung overhead like a helicopter propeller and used to slice an opponents head off in one blow. It could also cut through any opponent’s protective armour.
It also had a tricky, innovative nick on the reverse side, which was used to hook an opponent’s sword to wrench it out of their hands, leaving them defenceless.
A scimitar suggests a decisive action, cutting time into a before and after.
As a propeller, it suggests action, progress, and motion.
In a sense, this is the way North Shore has always played its cricket.
Jack Clough is welcomed through the gate after their win by Ian McAlpine
TGS v Rosmini
Takapuna Grammar Boys 1st XI
He Toa Takatini – success is not about one but down to the team (roughly). Certainly, that was the case as everyone in the team contributed massively when TGS 1st XI took on Rosmini, the reigning Auckland Champions.
Captain Jack won the toss and sent TGS into bat. Once again Max Clarke (29) and Christian Scott (26) got us off to a great start against a very accurate bowling attack. But both openers fell just before drinks, and at 59 for two a pessimist would have said a collapse beckoned. Not today.
Great partnerships and innings from Adam Little (27) and a quickfire 38 from Hayden McKay kept score building. Jack Clough top-scored with a fine 56 taking the score to 185 for four. Then Daniel Middleton did what Daniel does, scores runs and doesn’t get out, yet another n.o. and 22 runs.
Rosmini bowled very well and took wickets at the death to prevent us from posting a massive score, but we finished on what was described as a par score on a great wicket, 241 for 8 in 50 overs, our first time over 200 runs (yay), but would it be enough?
It certainly didn’t look like enough as Rosmini Captain and NSCC player Cameron Howell set about on a one-man wrecking mission. At 85 for one off 10 overs it was looking ugly.
Cam took advantage of the first 10 over fielding restrictions and a bit of stray bowling to bring up a quickfire 50 on his way to a belligerent 74.
Jasper Moy bowled a great spell of four overs, one for 18, and it was arguably his one bad ball of the day which was the most important, a half-tracker to Cam which should have sailed over the boundary into the TGS gymnasium, but instead ended in the hands of Zak Beaumont at mid-on. Zak was a ball magnet, in between bowling 10 overs one for 49 he managed to take three catches, including a hard hit and fizzing cut shot.
While on the subject of great catches, there are few better than Adam Little and he showed it again scrambling to collect a towering boundary catch.
Can’t remember any catches being dropped and Nick Petherick took two keeping. Freddy Birch and Mac Dalzell bowled tightly to keep the scoreboard pressure on Rosmini.
But at 179 for four after 32 overs, the pendulum had again swung to Rosmini. Max (9 overs 2 for 40) and Hayden Neil Wagner McKay (10 overs 3 for 54) bowled brilliantly at the end to give hope to the nail-biting TGS supporters.
To their credit, the boys never gave up and their intensity at the end was admirable, none more so than Hayden who took crucial wickets while Zac had the privilege of knocking over the final wicket for the win. Rosmini 214 for 10 in 44 overs. If you haven’t seen the smiles you’re missing out, have a look at TGS Cricket facebook page. A young team missing Captain Ollie Arthur Hunt and some other bowling options just beat the Auckland champs. As Mike Tillett said great reward for all the hard work that the boys are putting in. Ka Pai.
Scimitar Supporters Club
We're forever grateful for all those that have responded to our call for member's donations. Perhaps it has slipped your mind? We'd like you to be a member of this prestigious Club of Supporters.
Just click on here
https://northshorecricket.co.nz/register
Triple
Platinum Gill & Gundry
Platinum McGuigan Family Campbell & Hazel Newman David Chisholm QC Warwick and Christine Smith Bill Crump
Gold Nigel Grantham Iain Hutcheson & Sophie Foster Trade Colour Print Ltd Fan Warehouse The Davies Family The Glass Family Pat & Louise Cole
Silver Kevin Ireland Evan Atkinson Jamie Stuart Geoffrey Lee Kevin Robinson The Arthur-Hunt Family Jeff Ryan Richard Mason Ken & Shirley Wallace Dennis Jones Matthew Metcalfe Hamish Baker
Bronze Paul Oram Michael Ross
Andy Gore John Gore
Jonathan Casement
Abraham Koshy, Ashley & Joel Abraham Blair Sheehy Joseph Silk James Hendry Ian McAlpine Michael Hart Spy Kelly
And here's an interesting fact. In that game ten years ago, Ronnie Hira scored 112. On Saturday Ronnie bowled 18.2 overs, seven maidens, 25 for five.
"
Ryan (left) was playing for Lancashire at the time and was employed as the North Shore Club Pro and Head Coach and arrived from England to take up the position with his lovely, charming girlfriend, Clare.
Tendai Chitongo followed it with the big wicket of Barnard, who chopped on a bouncy googly for a patient 104 off 164 balls.
