Burnside West-University Skipper Achieves Milestone in Cricket

In a remarkable achievement, Hay, captain of the Burnside West-University cricket team, has joined an elite club by reaching a significant milestone during their ongoing two-day match against Old Boys Collegians. This match will resume on Saturday, adding excitement to Hay’s journey as he solidifies his place in the club’s history.

Hay, who began his cricket journey as a junior player for Burnside, attended Christchurch Boys’ High before making his senior debut for Burnside in 2016. Over the years, he has led the team to seven titles, six of which he won as captain, making him the most successful skipper in the club’s history. Reflecting on his achievements, Hay stated, “The winning’s great, but also probably how we have turned the team from being sort of a struggling side into pretty consistent winners over the last few years has been the big highlight for me.”

With over 5,000 runs scored and more than 350 wickets taken with his off-spin bowling, Hay has proven himself as a formidable all-rounder. Despite his past successes, he faced a rare setback by being dismissed for a duck in his milestone match last Saturday. Nonetheless, he remains focused on both his representative career and maintaining Burnside’s position at the top of the game. “They are the key things for me, really just enjoying it and trying to contribute,” he added.

As the match unfolds, Burnside holds a 64-run first-innings lead over Old Boys, having scored 296 in response to Old Boys’ 232. Key contributions came from players such as Nick Gibb with 86, Tom Turner with 67, and Adam Winter with 66. Meanwhile, Old Boys’ batter Josh Tromp shone brightly with an unbeaten 125 runs.

In other matches, the Riccarton siblings, Lachie and Angus Jemmett, were pivotal in their match against Lancaster Park. Lachie took an impressive seven wickets, helping to bowl Lancaster Park out for 82. Angus contributed significantly with a score of 57 in support of Nick Kwant’s 73, leading Riccarton to a total of 275. Lachie added two more wickets in the second innings, leaving Lancaster Park at 32/3 at stumps.

In another standout performance, Philippe Boissevain, a Dutch all-rounder for Heathcote, smashed an unbeaten 107 off just 64 balls, featuring 10 sixes, as his team declared on 305/7. In response, St Albans found themselves at 145/7 at stumps.

Meanwhile, Sydenham asserted control against East Shirley, declaring on 255/8 before bowling their opponents out for 84. East Shirley ended the day at 28/2, still trailing by 143 runs.

As the cricket season progresses, the focus remains on both individual milestones and team achievements, highlighting the dynamic nature of the sport and the talent within the leagues.