Ben Middleton watches the progress of one of his shots during the Ashburton College first XI’s first game of the season on Saturday. Photo Doug BovettAshburton College’s 1st XI didn’t get their season off to the best of starts in Christchurch on Saturday, in round one of the Canterbury Youth 1st XI grade’s one day cricket championship.

The Ashburton boys headed to Christchurch to play the Christchurch Boys’ High School (CBHS) 1st XI, which is never an easy ask, and came home with an eight wicket loss to their names.

Batting first, runs were hard to come by and wickets fell regularly, and by the end of their 40 overs the Ashburton side had amassed 90/8.

Jonty Small was the side’s top runs scorer with 23 before he was trapped leg before off the bowling of Tom Sutherland, while Isaac Bazley was the next best on the board with 17.

Angus Jemmett and Will Copland were the only others to make double figures, each making 10.

Sutherland, Regan Sheahan and Curtis Millard all finished with two wickets each for CBHS.

Ashburton College did deliver an early blow to CBHS’s runs chase, with opener Stanley Ashwin caught by Lachie Jemmett off the bowling of Angus Spittal for just one.

But from 4/1, it was relatively smooth sailing for CBHS.

They lost the wicket of Mackenzie Smith for 35 with the score on 67, but opener Sutherland saw his side home, finishing 31 not out.

CBHS got through to 91/2 off just 19.3 overs, and the other unbeaten batsman for CBHS was Methven’s Archie Redfern on 12 not out.

Redfern and fellow Mid Cantabrian Harry McMillan have already been making names for themselves this season, with both making a recent Canterbury Invitational XI.

In the next round of the Canterbury Youth 1st XI grade one day competition, Ashburton College will play host to the St Bede’s 1st XI, a side that also picked up a good win on Saturday, downing the North West Cricket 1st XI by 55 runs.

Ashburton College’s game against St Bede’s will get under way at 10.30am this Saturday at the Ashburton Domain.

By Erin Tasker © The Ashburton Guardian - 16 October 2019