Quad Series – January 2025

Game 1 vs Hutt Interanion Boys’ School

Marlborough Boys’ College opened their annual January Quadrangular tournament with a loss to Hutt International Boys’ School. Playing at Hutt’s home ground at Trentham raceway, Marlborough Boys’ won the toss and elected to bat. There were seven players making their 1st XI debut, meaning the team was very light on experience.

Debutants, Ollie Eyles and Alex Neal opened the batting and were soon back in the pavilion for 2 and 0 respectively. Other than Max Ruffell, on his return to the 1st XI after knee surgery, with 16, the top order failed to fire leaving Marlborough Boys’ in dire straits at six for 29. This brought two of the debutants, namely Fionn Heagney and James Crowe together, and they showed a lot of resolution and grit as they put on 35 and took the score to 64 by drinks. Heagney fell straight after drinks for 11, but Crowe carried on eventually being out for the top score of 29. Marlborough Boys’ ended up scoring 79 in 22 overs. In reply, Hutt International Boys’ suffered an early loss when Crowe took a wicket in his opening over. This was not a major setback as they cruised to the target of 80 in the nineteenth over with the further loss of two wickets, winning the game by seven wickets. The other successful bowlers were Dane Winstanley, and Eyles. Eyles wicket was particularly significant being taken with his first ball bowled for the 1st XI.

Game 2 vs Nelson College

Day Two saw Marlborough Boys’ take on traditional rival Nelson. Both teams were coming off a loss from the first day of the tournament. Nathan Brooke-Taylor won the toss for the second time in a row and decided to bat. Once again, Marlborough lost quick wickets and by drinks were 54/3. Ollie Eyles was holding the fort on 28 and the other major contributor was Extras. Josh Harris had just joined him, and they had the most productive partnership of the innings with 32, until Eyles was out for the innings top score of 38.

Eyles had shown a lot of determination and resolve within his stay at the crease. From 81/3, Marlborough Boys’ lost wickets regularly and was dismissed for 133. Harris looked confident in making 19. The only other score of note was James Crowe, who again showed his willingness to hit the ball hard while making 24 off just 27 deliveries. Extras was the second top scorer with 32. Nelson College got off to a disastrous start losing an opener in the first over of the innings from Luke Petrie. Wickets were lost regularly and a double strike straight after the drinks break resulted in Nelson College wobbling at 58/5 with two new batters at the crease. A dropped catch shortly afterwards proved decisive as the two batters manufactured a partnership of 62 taking the game away from Marlborough Boys’. The two batters were dismissed within sight of the target and Nelson eventually won by three wickets. Petrie returned figures of 2/14 off four overs, but the pick of the bowlers was Sam Young. The team vice-captain returned the outstanding figure of 2/4 off six overs including four maidens. Brooke-Taylor also chipped in with 2/30.

Game 3 vs Rathkeale College

Rathkeale College was Marlborough Boys’ College last opponent for the tournament. Nathan Brooke-Taylor kept up his excellent record of winning the toss (using Mr Mason’s lucky coin) and decided to bowl. This decision was quickly justified with Luke Petrie taking three wickets and in combination with the other bowlers having Rathkeale 6/80. Unfortunately, Marlborough Boys’ did not push home the advantage.

Dropped catches, looser bowling, and a falling away in the field resulted in Rathkeale adding one hundred runs for the last four wickets. While Brooke-Taylor returned the best figures of 3/21, the pick of the bowlers was Petrie with 3/25. Marlborough Boys’ changed their batting order promoting Niko Russell to open with Ollie Eyles. They were dogged at the start putting on an opening stand of 24 before Eyles was dismissed. Disappointingly, this started a collapse, that saw Marlborough Boys’ reduced to 51/7 and eventually bowled out for 73. Throughout this collapse, Russell held up one end showing very solid defence and occasionally putting away poor deliveries for boundaries.

He batted through the innings to be 18 not out off 73 balls. Fionn Heagney was the second highest scorer with 13, but the top score went to Extras with 20. Mention must be made of Jack Fitzgerald from Rathkeale who returned the outstanding figures of 7/13. Overall, though, this was a disappointing finish for Marlborough Boys’. There was a sense of capitulation when they batted. There needed to be more resilience shown and more fight.

Marlborough Boys’ vs Willows

Marlborough Boys’ College 1st XI played their annual match vs The Willows at The Willows cricket ground near Loburn, in Canterbury. The Willows team was stacked with former MBC 1st XI players and pupils, including two who were Head Boy in their respective years.

The Willows batted first and made 223/7 in their forty overs. Current Christ’s College player, Jackson Garry top scored with 71. The MBC 1st XI captain from 1985, Mark Hampton scored 70 not out and guided the score from 3/54 to the final total. It was impressive from Hampton, scoring his runs off 56 balls. The other notable contribution was Marlborough cricket identity, Greg Stretch, with 27. Recent MBC 1st XI player, Tim Petrie, had the of facing one ball – the last ball of the innings – from his brother Luke. Honours went to Tim with a hard hit two. James Crowe and Luke Holdaway were the most successful bowlers with two wickets a piece.

Unfortunately, the batting honours stayed with the former MBC players as the current 1st XI were bowled out in the 22nd over for 61 losing by 162 runs. The top scorers were Alex Neal and Josh Harris with 14. Harris’s dismissal to Tim Petrie, set up Petrie vs Petrie for the second time in the match. This time Luke came out on top with a strongly hit four.

It was a wonderful day for all the players, especially for the six players who played at The Willows ground for the first time.

Marlborough vs St Thomas of Canterbury College

Marlborough Boys’ College 1st XI travelled to Christchurch after their game at The Willows for the second annual encounter with St Thomas of Canterbury College. St Thomas won an exciting encounter last season and hopes were high that the tables would be reversed.

Marlborough Boys’ College won the toss after a delayed start due to rain and asked St Thomas to bat. St Thomas were very well placed after 34 overs in an extended first session at 2/127, with their opener Barnaby Phillips looking very secure. Dane Winstanley put paid to that notion with two wickets in his fourth over, which lead to eight wickets falling for eighty runs in 21 overs. Phillips completed a superb century scoring 116 off 153 balls, while Winstanley claimed his best figures, including his first five wicket bag, for the 1st XI with 6/59 off fourteen overs. There were a few loose deliveries, but as befits a six wicket bag, there were some very well bowled deliveries. Sam Young chipped in with two wickets (2/20) after removing the wicket keeping gloves.

Marlborough Boys’ had brought themselves right back into the game by dismissing St Thomas for 217. With Luke Holdaway returning from Central Districts Under 17 duty, confidence was high of getting close to their opponent’s score. This confidence was very quickly dispelled as a procession of wickets ensued. MBC struggled to score off the accurate St Thomas bowling as were dismissed in the 32nd over for 26. The top individual score was Young with five, but Extras top-scored with eight. The largest partnership of the innings was the opening partnership between Ollie Eyles and Niko Russell with six. The only boundary in the innings was four leg byes. Max Woods returned the remarkable bowling figures of five overs and three balls, four maidens, five wickets for one run, (which was a no-ball).

St Thomas of Canterbury College did not enforce the follow on, and had a second innings scoring 104/5 declared, leaving Marlborough Boys’ College 294 to win or to bat out time for the draw. James Crowe was the pick of the bowlers with 2/11.

Marlborough Boys’ lost an early wicket but consolidated well with an excellent partnership of 84 between Russell and Young. Russell was particularly obdurate scoring 21 off 110 balls. He offered great support to Young who batted steadily and started to show the form that he is capable of. Young went past his 50 in confident fashion. However, the fall of Russell’s wicket precipitated a collapse that saw nine wickets fall for 28 runs in fourteen overs. Young top-scored with 61 and the only other batter to get double figures was Luke Holdaway with ten.

Marlborough Boys’ College dismissed for 118 giving St Thomas of Canterbury College an emphatic victory by 175 runs.

Marlborough Boys’ vs Waimea College

Marlborough Boys’ College played Waimea College in a playoff for the D’Arcy Cup, which would determine who played Nelson College in the qualifier for the Central Districts tournament in late March.

As per usual this season, Nathan Brooke-Taylor won the toss and made the decision to bat. Things did not start too well for MBC with the early loss of openers, Fionn Heagney and Ollie Eyles. Sam Young went for a quickfire 14 off thirteen balls, but at 6/64, Marlborough Boys’ were staring down the barrel of an embarrassing score. Throughout this carnage, Luke Holdaway stood tall and looked in control. Brooke-Taylor stuck around for a partnership of thirty before a mix up saw him run out.

Debutant, Billy Hurren, joined Holdaway at 7/94 and put together the biggest partnership of the innings with 36 runs, before Holdaway was dismissed for a very good 65. This was scored off 88 balls and included thirteen boundaries. Hurren carried on making 21 off 22 balls, and Alex Neal chipped in with 14 towards the end. Extras was a significant contributor to the final total of 164 “scoring” 35 including 33 wides. It was concerning that Marlborough Boys’ did not utilise the fifty overs being dismissed in the 37th over.

Marlborough Boys’ opening attack was not as accirate as needed and allowed Waimea to make a steady start until James Crowe broke through with a wicket in his third over. It was the introduction of Holdaway and Hurren that slowed progress and started taking wickets more regularly. With the aid of an excellent run out by Young, Waimea were 75/5 with plenty of overs in hand. There was some resistance shown for the sixth wicket with the score being taken through to 111 before the sixth wicket fell.

Waimea College needed 54 with only four wickets in hand. Unfortunately, Waimea’s top scorer, Corban Field, was dropped twice and he steered them home to the win for the loss of one more wicket. Marlborough Boys’ had the winning of the game in their hands, but a lack of accuracy with some bowling and poor catching gave the match to Waimea. Holdaway was the pick of the bowlers taking 2/21.

Mark Mason.