St Peter’s cricketers Lochlan Bolstad (left) and Logan Tindall have been selected to train with the Northern Districts’ promising players squad.
Cricket players at St Peter’s School have had their perfection on the pitch recognized by the leading cricket association in this half of the North Island.
Northern Districts Cricket – the home of one of New Zealand’s six first-class cricket teams – has handpicked students from around the region to join their “promising players” squad, which gives the up-and-coming cricketers the chance to train at Seddon Park with the region’s top coaches and potentially gain selection into a Northern Districts age-grade team.
“It’s always a privilege to get high honours, especially with Northern Districts,” said Logan Tindall, who was selected to join the promising players squad along with Lochlan Bolstad, a fellow member of the school’s First XI squad, after the Year-10 pair stood out at the Junior Secondary Schools Northern Districts cricket tournament.
Year 13 student Tiger Houston was also selected for the promising players squad at the senior Northern Districts cricket tournament, and Emma Baker, another St Peter’s student, has made the Northern Districts Women’s cricket team after playing for the Northern District’s Women’s U21 side last season.
All age grades are involved in the promising players squad – colts, under 16s, under 18s – training about once a fortnight with a number of highly qualified cricketers including Northern Districts coach Cliff Dickerson, a former elite Northern Districts player and first-class left arm spinner.
“It’s great to be a part of it,” said Lochlan, who along with Logan described their first training as “good”, but said they were a little rusty after not playing seriously since the last cricket season in the summer. “But we’ll keep getting better over the trainings,” said Lochlan, a bowler by trade.
The two 15-year-olds said they hope to climb the ranks of the Northern Districts age group teams and beyond, with the ultimate goal of making the Black Caps in the future. “At our age, you have to keep playing a sport if you love it,” said Logan. “If you don’t, there’s no point doing it.”
