Recently CDCA has been pleased to be able to hold a number of regional Finals that were postponed at the end of the season after COVID-19 precautionary measures came into being.

One of these was the final of our Ross Taylor Bat competition, which was to have been played back in late March 2020.

On the rescheduled finals day in Feilding in late October, we managed to get all the round robin games in, but the final itself once again couldn’t be played because of a late afternoon shower.

The Ross Taylor Bat is a trophy that ROSS TAYLOR kindly donated specifically for this competition: it's the blade with which he scored a century for the BLACKCAPS against England at McLean Park a few years back, and it has rapidly become a pretty sought after trophy!

The competition is a T20 contest that CD has run for a number of years. It started out as a competition to cater for our North Island District Association secondary schools to enter instead of the traditional Gillette Cup. The finals play-offs are held in March, with and all six of our North Island-based CD District Associations are represented.

This year's final was between Feilding High School and Whanganui High School.

Hawke's Bay's Taradale High had won the Bat in 2019, but didn’t make this year's final meaning a new champion would be crowned.

2020 • ROSS TAYLOR BAT FINAL

Feilding High106/7 wickets in 20 overs

Whanganui High (chasing) 62/8 in 20 overs

Feilding was in some early trouble at 42/5, until a very good 53-run partnership between Delaney and Giesen turned the innings around. Then Feilding's bowlers bowled some good channels to restrict the opposition and take out the coveted Bat.

Article added: Monday 09 November 2020