HBHS qualify for Gillette Cup's top eight

Hamilton Boys' High School First XI cricket team continued on in the national Gillette Cup secondary schools competition with a comfortable win against St Paul's Collegiate in last Friday's Waikato qualifier.

The HBHS pace attack of Scott Kuggeleijn and Steven Cullingworth removed the top order and St Paul's never recovered, dismissed for just 72 in 36 overs.

Left-arm spinner Matthew Thomas captured 4-15 from 10 overs.

In reply, HBHS got home in 27 overs for the loss of four wickets. Mitchell Santner made 22 and Kuggeleijn finished on 16 not-out.

HBHS now go to the top eight national finals in Palmerston North which begin on December 10.

Fairfield Intermediate's run in the national Milo Cup intermediate schools competition ended on Friday with a tense three-wicket loss to Bucklands Beach Intermediate at Waikato University.

Northern Districts champions Fairfield won the toss and batted in the 35-over contest but were in early trouble at 11-3, before being rescued by Sam Hughson who compiled a well-made 56 and got his side through to 131.

Bucklands Beach's response started with them losing a wicket in the first over but they consolidated to be 65-1 after 15 overs, before spinners Shaan Singh-Parhar (2-22 from seven overs) and Jonathan Lush (1-17 from five overs) wrested back the initiative to have the visitors 115-7 with three overs remaining.

Some fine lower-order batting, coupled with some sloppy Fairfield fielding, saw Bucklands Beach get home in the last over.