Photo Credit: New Zealand Cricket
New Zealand’s top junior secondary school boys’ cricket teams take to the pitches in Palmerston North this week (18-22 March) to compete in the annual NZC Junior Secondary School Boys’ Tournament.
The finals week, at Fitzherbert Park and Manawaroa Parks, gets underway at 10am this morning and brings together six teams for a week-long 40-over cricket round robin competition.
It’s the first opportunity for a number of emerging talents to make their mark at a national level and each team is the winner from a preliminary regional qualification stage in each of the six Major Association areas.
This year’s finalists are Auckland Grammar (Auckland), Hamilton Boys’ High (Northern Districts), Whanganui Collegiate School (Central Districts), Wellington College (Wellington), Christchurch Boys’ High (Canterbury) and Waitaki Boys’ High (Otago).
Defending champion Auckland Grammar was the only undefeated side at last year’s tournament, while the runner-up Wellington College is the only other side to return as a finalist this season.The tournament has been a major part of New Zealand Cricket’s junior development programme since its inception in 2004 and starts off this morning with Auckland Grammar v the CD hosts, Whanganui Collegiate on Fitzherbert Park 1; Waitaki Boys’ High v Wellington College on Fitzherbert Park 2; and Hamilton Boys’ High School v Christchurch Boys’ High School on Manawaroa Park.
All games are livescored by New Zealand Cricket at www.nzc.nz and on the NZC app. For teams and further information, please visit the official NZC Community facebook page
Name of Author: New Zealand Cricket
The New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, made their Test debut in 1930 against England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth nation to play Test cricket. After waiting 26 years for their first Test win against the West Indies in 1956, they also played their first ODI in 1972–73 against Pakistan. New Zealand are the inaugural World Test Championship champions (2021) and have won the ICC Champions Trophy (2000). They have reached the Cricket World Cup final twice and the T20 World Cup final once.
