Six players played their last game for the Ashburton College 1st XI on Saturday, bowing out with a win against Shirley Boys’ High School. From left, Tom Ravenscroft, Ben Niles, Will Tod, Will Graham, Gareth Hunt and George Chapman.The Ashburton College 1st XI sent off their six Year 13s with a win after recording their second straight win over Shirley Boys’ High School at the Ashburton Domain on Saturday.

The win was based around their best batting effort of the one-day competition.

Captain Will Graham won the toss and elected to bat.

Despite the early loss of Tom Ravenscroft, fellow opener George Chapman kept the momentum going with a quick-fire 32, which included three sixes.

A couple more cheap wickets were lost, but a 97-run partnership between Graham and Will Tod (34) steadied the ship.

The innings was based around Graham, who was unfortunately finally dismissed for a fantastic 99.

The team finished with 252 runs off their 50 overs.

They then got off to a great start in the field as Jayden Fuller took a screamer of a catch off Harry McMillan in the second over, before McMillan also removed Shirley Boys’ other dangerous opener in the eighth over.

Gareth Hunt then chimed in with two wickets, while Tod picked up one, thanks to a great slip catch by Ben Niles.

AshColl had their opponents five down for 77 and looked to be cruising to victory.

Chapman, the regular keeper, then had a bowl and managed to snare a wicket as did Fuller and Niles. Batsman Isaac Bazley also showed the bowlers how to do it when he picked up two wickets, including the final one, as Shirley were dismissed for 175.

The win meant AshColl finished seventh in the Christchurch secondary schools’ division one one-day contest.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 28 November 2017