Schoolboy now in elite company

ROBERT CHARLES/Taranaki Daily News

LETHAL SPIN: James McDougall, above, and showing his bowling form, right, for New Plymouth Boys' High School in a Taranaki premier grade cricket match against New Plymouth Marist United last Saturday. He was in stunning form for his school 1st XI last week.

Relevant offers

James McDougall joined an illustrious group when producing outstanding performances with bat and ball in an interschool 1st XI cricket match at Rotorua last week.

The New Plymouth Boys' High School allrounder became one of only three to have his name etched on the school's 1st XI honours board twice in the same match.

McDougall, 15, snared seven wickets with his leg spin bowling in Rotorua Boys' High School's first innings of the two-day match and followed it up with a sparkling century in the New Plymouth school's second innings as the side claimed victory.

The two previous cricketers to achieve such a feat were renowned international Martin Donnelly and former New Zealand cricketer and now laconic commentator John (Mystery) Morrison.

Donnelly's double honours board performance was in a school match in 1935 against Nelson College when he hit 135 runs and claimed 7-36 with his bowling.

Morrison achieved his double against Wellington College, scoring 118 before taking 8-19 with his left-arm spin.

"I'm pretty happy with what I did," was McDougall's modest description of his outstanding feat when looking back on the outcome this week.

He rode his luck early on his way to scoring 110, including 15 fours in New Plymouth's second innings after hitting just seven in the first innings.

"I got pretty lucky early on with quite a few edges and I was dropped once, but once I got to about 30 I started to time it fairly well and then I just went for it."

McDougall's bowling magic was from 24 overs and his victims were clean bowled (three), caught and bowled (two), and caught (two).

The Year 12 student is an under-17 Taranaki rep cricketer and said he had practised the art of spin bowling since he first started playing cricket.

"That was when I was five or six," he recalled.

"I taught myself up to I was about 10 and since then I've had a lot of help from Debu Banik [Taranaki Cricket's age-group coach].

"He's been my coach in quite a few age-group teams and he's helped me quite a bit."

McDougall played his first game for the New Plymouth Boys' High School 1st XI between Years 10 and 11 at the school and has been a permanent fixture in the team since last season.

His previous highest score for the 1st XI was 58, while he racked up 96 for the Taranaki under-15 team last season.

His previous biggest wicket haul was four, and his first and only other century was when he was a Year 10 pupil, playing for the school's 3rd XI.

McDougall will be hoping to weave his magic again for his school when it meets Wanganui Collegiate in a two-day traditional clash starting on Sunday.

- © Fairfax NZ News