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Hibiscus Coast Cricket is having a dream season, after a near washout due to the weather last summer.
Last month the club’s Premier Men’s team had a run of successive wins placing the team top of the table in the 20-20 competition, made up of 13 Auckland teams. With one round-robin game to go (as the paper goes to print) the team will then face the semi-finals.
They are also tied second-equal in the Richard Jones limited overs competition, after winning two from three in that format.
Their 20-20 success included notching up big wins over powerhouse clubs Takapuna and North Shore. International cricketer Max O’Dowd who captains the 20-20 men’s team led the way with the bat scoring 96 off 57 balls vs Takapuna, and 91 off 50 balls against North Shore.
Team manager Gair McSkimming says O’Dowd, who played for The Netherlands in the last year’s World Cup, is also passing on his experience to young players, working alongside them to further their development.
Those young players are returning the favour notching up some fine performances including bowler Connor McCarthy Morrogh with the outstanding figures of four wickets for 13 runs vs North Shore. Batter Ryan Coetzee was selected for the Auckland U17 team after being top run scorer at the U17 district tournament, featuring scores of 105 and 83. Coetzee has been part of the Hibiscus Club since he was in the U12s and McSkimming says it’s great to see the investment in the club’s youth programme paying dividends.
In addition to its work with local Primary Schools, starting in Term 1, the club will also coach and run the college sport cricket programmes on the Coast.
“We believe we have the resources and skillset to enter the college sport arena and assist our schools to further deliver cricket opportunities for youth,” McSkimming says.
Meanwhile the club has repeated its pleas to the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board for assistance in obtaining a home base. McSkimming made a presentation to the local board at its December 12 meeting, with the options it is exploring including Sharks Sports Club at Victor Eaves Reserve, and Metro Park, which currently has existing plans for shared clubrooms on the table, as well as an option put forward by YMCA North (HM October 30, 2023).
