Otago Boys’ High School has a proud and deep history in the National First XI cricket championships.
The very first tournament in 1990 saw Robert Lawson awarded the Geoffrey Palmer Cup as most valuable player of the tourney.
Otago won the competition in 1992 and 1993. Chris Gaffaney umpired in the 2007 finals having represented Otago Boys’ in those successes. Chris Finch (46 tries for the First XV in 1992) and Grant Billcliff were recipients of the Geoffrey Palmer Cup.
In 2003 Anthony Bullick played for King’s College and won the Geoffrey Palmer Cup. In 2008 he returned as manager of Otago Boys.’
Otago Boys’ batsman hold the records for the highest first and seventh wicket partnerships. In 2012 Tom Griffin (118) and Liam Cotton (93) shared 184 for the first wicket against Hutt Valley High School. A year earlier Michael Collins (105) and Scott Hunter (29) combined to share 114 against Christ’s College.
Collins along with Kane Williamson, Simon Hickey and Mitchell Murray is one of only four batsman to make two centuries in the same tournament.
Can Otago Boys’ enjoy similar success in 2015?
Otago have assembled a talented squad with a mixture of youth and experience.
Otago last made the finals in 2013. That year the Otago Colts toured South Africa. Nine of the players in the 2015 First XI went on that trip giving them invaluable experience in touring and playing in unfamiliar conditions.
That knowledge has helped Otago in their play this year. They won the Otago/Southland Zone to qualify for Nationals, beating John McGlashan College in the final. Otago was unbeaten in their four traditional interschool fixtures against Timaru BHS, Waitaki BHS, Christ’s College and Southland BHS. In September and October they toured Sydney playing four games and winning three of them.
Captain Taine Bayly (Below) is Year 12 and played in the 2013 finals. He is an exciting all-rounder with the ability to score very quickly and provide astute leadership.
There are three Year 13’s, six Year 12’s and three Year 11’s in the Otago squad.
The key batsmen are openers Jarryd Taig and Cameron McAuslan who have averages in the mid 40’s. Taig has a top score of 176 not out against Scots College (Sydney).
New Zealand Under-17 all-rounder Hunter Kindley is a key contributor and opening bowlers Sam Angus and Will Hunter have both been playing senior cricket this term and taking wickets on a regular basis. Nine of Otago’s players can be considered to be all-rounder’s.
The finals are held at Lincoln in Christchurch between December 7 and 11.