Photo Credit: Takapuna Grammar School
Takapuna Grammar School are taking cricket head on – ensuring their cricketers have access to quality facilities, equitable opportunities, and quality coaching from highly qualified school staff and North Shore Cricket Club coaches.
The result has been growth of both males and females in their cricket programme, and strong performances from both the 1st XI Girls and Boys.
This season, Takapuna Grammar also launched their new junior cricket academy – open to all players who are interested in developing their skills.
The uptake of the academy has been overwhelmingly positive, with 90% of registered junior cricketers being involved.
Director of cricket, Michael Tillett, explained the vision behind Takapuna Grammar’s cricket programme.
“Our purpose is to develop well-rounded athletes and help them on their pathway to success throughout their years at TGS,” said Tillett.
“We want to help cricketers improve technically, tactically, and mentally in order so they can leave our programme as not only better cricketers but better people.”
Takapuna Grammar’s 1st XI Boys enjoyed a strong season, narrowly losing the Auckland T20 Final to Kings College, and in their first year back in the Auckland Premier Competition, have competed against some of Auckland’s perennial powerhouses.
A key factor in the growth of Takapuna Grammar’s cricket programme has been their focus on the female game, resulting in strong performances from the 1st XI Girls this summer.
The 1st XI Girls completed the double, taking out both the Auckland Cricket Schools title and the Gillette Venus Qualifying Tournament on Eden Park Outer Oval.
The connection between players at the school was highlighted by the 1st XI Boys supporting the 1st XI Girls in their College Sport Premier Girls’ final against Epsom Girls’ Grammar at Melville Park.
The boys provided encouragement throughout the match and formed a guard of honour for the players as they came off the field victorious.
TGS Sports Administrator, Gillian Scott, helped to explain the history of female cricket at Takapuna Grammar.
“Since 1927 TGS has had a proud history with girls’ cricket but there were no girls’ teams at all in 2014 and 2015,” said Scott.
“Since restarting girls’ cricket in 2016 we have worked hard to provide a pathway for girls coming out of NSCC’s excellent junior programme and to give our 1st XI Girls’ team the same profile as their male counterparts,” Scott continued.
“The girls have taken the opportunities and are proud to continue the tradition of the young women who have gone before them while making their own mark on the history of TGS cricket.”
Takapuna Grammar’s 1st XI Girls will compete in the 2023 Gillette Venus Finals in Lincoln this December.
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.
