North Albion CI (NACI) won group A of the Boys Senior Schools cricket tournament on Wednesday at Eglinton Flats, then beat Group B winners Kipling CI by 54 runs in a quarter-final playoff.
North Albion beat York Memorial by eight wickets and Central Commerce Collegiate by 29 runs in Group A matches. York Memorial was restricted to 26 for eight in ten overs, then North Albion replied with 27 for two wickets in five overs. North Albion tallied 66 for the loss of four wickets in ten overs against Central Commerce, who replied with 37 for seven wicket in ten overs.
Central Commerce won the concluding match in Group A by just one run, as York Memorial made three from the last ball after the potential last ball of ten overs was a wide. Central Commerce 45 for six wickets (10 overs), York Memorial 44 for five wickets (10 overs).
Kipling CI comfortably beat Earl Haig Secondary in the last match of Group B. Kipling posted 89 runs in ten overs without losing a wicket. Earl Haig, bowled out for 11 by Western Tech, showed some improvement to battle away for ten overs, scoring 25 runs for the loss of one wicket. For several of the teams this is very much a developmental, if not an experimental, outdoor cricket tournament. Indeed, the reason for two games having been described as “abandoned” in Tuesday games at Eglinton Flats was due to one team being unable to adjust from baseball pitching to cricket bowling. But, at least, the side turned out and gave it a try.
Kipling began the day, after the storm had ceased, with an eight wicket win over Western Tech.
North Albion made 91 for two wickets in twelve overs in the playoff quarterfinal on the west pitch. Kipling CI was then restricted to 37 for eight in twelve overs.
Senior Boys Groups C and D are scheduled for Eglinton Flats on Thursday. Group C comprises C.W. Jeffreys, Father Henry Secondary and West Humber CI. Group D involves Emery CI, George Harvey CI and Weston Collegiate.
CIMA Mayor’s Schools Competition 2012 – CIBC Trophy – Middle Schools Update
The Boys Middle Schools qualifiers took place on Tuesday (May 15th) for schools based in the western part of Toronto at Eglinton Flats, and on Wednesday (May 16th) for schools from in the eastern part of the city at Sunnybrook Park.
Tuesday’s first news from the grounds turned out to be a report on how Lambton-Kingsway Middle School pulled off a “miracle” win, in the words of the coach, against 2011 Middle School champions Smithfield Middle School. Lambton-Kingsway’s side was a baseball orientated side, but had a Canadian coach whose cricket playing began at Eglinton Flats a few years ago. Lambton-Kingsway made 78 runs for four wickets (or “four outs”) in ten overs. Smithfield replied with 64 runs for five wickets (or “outs”), leaving Lambton-Kingaway as winners by 14 runs. This result proved the decider in Group B of the Middle School competition. .
The left-handed batter (or gender-specific “batsman” in traditional cricket language) who hit the consecutive sixes in a pivotal over for Lambton-Kingsway is called Luke. He made 45 not out, including five sixes (a boundary hit that cleared the boundary line before hitting the ground is a “six”) and two fours (a boundary hit that hits the ground before crossing the line is a “four”). The big over also included a five (a quick single where the fielder made a wild throw, or “error” in baseball terms, and the ball went for four overthrows, as the erroneous throw reached the boundary line. The over also included a wide or two and a no-ball. The bowler involved had one good over and one that cost a lot of runs, ending with 1 wicket for 22 runs from two overs.
Smithfield made 64 runs for the loss of five wickets in ten overs, losing by 14 runs. Luke the successful Lambton-Kingsway batsman also took 2 wickets for 9 runs in two overs, so he would have won the man-of-the-match award if there had been one. Although there are sometimes some strange decisions in such awards.
The other two matches in this qualifying group were officially described as abandoned. Fairbank Middle School was a developmental cricket side, but their baseball pitchers apparently struggled to meet the different standards of bowling a ball consistent with cricket’s laws. Abdullah, for example in scoring 17 not out in Smithfield’s closing overs at bat might have excited the type of award decider who might say the innings helped make a game of it.
Group A was won by West Humber Junior Middle School. West Humber began with a 23-run win against Dixon Grove. West Humber struck 71 runs in ten overs, losing five wickets, with Dixon Grove reaching 48 runs for the loss of five wickets when the innings had completed ten overs.
West Humber bagged 88 runs in ten overs , again losing five wickets, against Rockcliffe Middle School. Rockcliffe had reached 39 runs with six wickets lost when the ten over limit for an innings was reached.
Rockcliffe made 62 runs for five wickets (10 overs) against Dixon Grove, but although an improved score, the Dixon Grove batters raced to a winning 64 runs for five wickets in 6.4 overs.
The two group winners, West Humber and Lambton-Kingsway, then met in a semi-final playoff game. West Humber made 45 for seven wickets in ten overs, but this was not enough as in 7.3 overs Lambton-Kingsway reached a winning 47 runs. The result has been recorded as a win by two wickets but if one of the batters had retired hurt then only seven and not eight wickets had been lost. So this would mean the win was by three wickets rather than two wickets, as retired hurt is “not out” in this situation,
As previously mentioned, the eastern groups in this Middle Schools competition were being played on Wednesday at Sunnybrook Park. News of these matches will follow in due course.