Christchurch schools hit national cricket double

Cantabrian cricket winners are grinners after the annual national secondary school competition landed Christchurch schools a double win.

The Gillette Venus Cup was played last week in Palmerston North, with girls’ teams representing six New Zealand regions battling it out for national glory.  Christchurch Girls’ High School went through the tournament unbeaten and claimed the school’s third success in the event, after previous wins in 2010 and 2011. 

On Monday, the schoolboys’ Gillette Cup was eventually won by Christchurch Boys’ High School after four days of gruelling competition. making it a male and female clean sweep of national honours for the Christchurch secondary school teams. Christchurch Boys’ beat Wellington College into second place, to take the school’s 11th win in the tournament’s 30 year history – they last won the title in 2017.

Both tournaments brings together students from schools across New Zealand representing the six cricket major associations. The Gillette Cup began in 1990 and sees secondary school first XI teams fight it out for the New Zealand schools’ title. It has proved to be a step on the path to many successful cricketing careers, such as current Black Caps Mitchell Santner and Tom Blundell. 

White Fern Amelia Kerr is among international cricketers to have competed for the Gillette Venus Cup., which was this year held at Palmerston North’s Manawaroa Park.