Wakatipu High School claimed the inaugural Sharpe-Mawhinney Shield on Monday afternoon, comprehensively downing Orange in the two sides’ opening clash of the 2019 Queenstown Schools Cricket Carnival by 134 runs.
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The shield is named in honour of the late Carl Sharpe, who pioneered Mitchell Cricket Council’s old New Zealand tours and the Western NSW Junior Carnivals, and Russell Mawhinney, the brains behind Queenstown’s equivalent.
With the two sides’ relationship based on alternating years crossing the Tasman to contest one another’s carnivals, they’ll now compete for the aptly-named shield annually.
Orange’s James Thompson and Lachlan Coyte produced fighting efforts with bat and ball respectively, but the day undeniably belonged to Wakatipu young gun Jordan Gibbons.
Gibbons, who was strong in the side’s trip to Orange last summer, inspired the Kiwis’ victory with a magnificent ton, which came in swashbuckling fashion at the picturesque Queenstown Events Centre.
Batting at three, Gibbons entered the fray at 1-18 after Seth Mawhinney (13) was trapped in front by quick Harry Kermode (1-13) and proceeded to blast 110 from just 81 balls – a strike rate of almost 140.
He combined to add 122 for the second wicket with Tim Johnson (57), setting up the side’s massive total of 266, which could have been bigger considering they were bowled out with six overs remaining.
Gibbons’ dig was brought to and end by Thompson, whose figures of 4-46 were his side’s best. Harry McGregor (2-46) and Cam Laird (2-7) also picked up multiple scalps.
The tourists’ chase didn’t start particularly well with Laird (7) bowled early before Nick Warburton (8) followed him back to the sheds not long after, leaving the side 2-34 from 17 overs.
The required run rate had crept up to more than seven-an-over by then and, after hammering a quick-fire 92 in the warm-up game the day before, Coyte did what he could to ressurrect the innings.
He knocked up 46 at better than a run-a-ball, adding 39 for the third wicket with fellow warm-up game star Hugh Middleton (20), but after they were both dismissed the chase was all but over, Orange eventually falling for just 132.
Angus Herron was superb with the ball for Wakatipu, taking 4-11.
Orange was also beaten in their second game of the carnival on Tuesday morning, the first Twenty20 fixture.
After being skittled for 83, John McGlashan College needed just two wickets and 14 overs to successfully chase.
Orange’s second round T20 opponent was yet to be decided at time of publication.
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Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
