Thursday 5 February 2026
On Friday, the First XI Cricket team lost to a strong Old Collegians XI captained by OC James Marshall (Selwyn, 1996-97). On a beautiful summer’s day, the OCs elected to bat first on a fantastic surface. They were swiftly on the back foot as both openers were dismissed cheaply thanks to a fiery opening spell from Nikau Henwood (Year 12, St John's). However, a third-wicket partnership of 112 runs between former Black Cap Hamish Marshall (Selwyn, 1996-97) (85) and ex–First XI captain James Bamford (Major, 2019-23) (67) laid the foundation for a challenging total of 202 for the First XI to chase in their allotted 40 overs.
The Old Collegians’ opening attack of Finn Priddy (Marsden, 2020-24) and Ant Bullick (Peart, 1999-2003) set the tone early, bowling with an excellent line and length that challenged the King's top order. This, along with smart field placements, meant runs were hard to come by and, as the required run rate increased, wickets began to tumble. A sixth-wicket partnership of 51 between Ed Mitchelson (Year 13, Marsden) (27) and Malcolm Barrow (Year 13, School) (21) wrestled back some momentum and briefly looked threatening until Barrow was caught in the deep off the bowling of Tom Lindberg (Marsden, 1978-82) (4-37), who bowled exceptionally well.
Despite the disappointing loss and the Old Collegian team winning back the prestigious Marshall Cup, the match provided valuable learning opportunities for our cricketers. Having a front-row seat watching a former test cricket player build a majestic innings, alongside seeing how an experienced bowling unit set up batters and execute plans accurately, will no doubt aid the First XI's continued development.
The fixture was followed by a well-supported Cricket Supporters Club Gala Dinner that evening in the student dining hall. Old Collegians, parents, staff members and supporters were treated to entertaining speeches and stories from guest speaker Shane Bond and Black Cap panellist's Hamish Marshall, James Marshall, ex-Head of Cricket and ex-Black Cap Dipak Patel and Mohammed Abbas (Marsden, 2017-21). Old Collegian and current Black Cap Mohammed flew up from Wellington specifically for the dinner, and it was heartening to hear how his experiences both in and out of the classroom during his time at the College have helped shape him as an individual and enabled him to pursue his dream of becoming an international cricketer.
Score Summary:
Old Collegians XI — 202/7 (40 overs)
Hamish Marshall 85 (65), James Bamford 67 (107), Tom Boucher (Greenbank, 2021-25) 26* (29)
Nikau Henwood 2–15, Aekkem Sarao 2–51
King’s First XI — 136 all out (32 overs)
Ed Mitchelson 27 (18), Malcolm Barrow 21 (18)
Tom Lindberg (Marsden, 1978-82) 4–37, Tom Boucher 2–9
Result: Old Collegians won by 66 runs.