Everything is net

Caryn Wilkinson Reporter from Community News

The pleas of a cricket-crazed teenager have netted new equipment for his school.

Eighteen-year-old Siupeli Aho was the catalyst for the popularity of cricket at St Paul's College, in Ponsonby, sport director Dave McDermott said.

The Te Atatu Peninsula teenager inspired the college to get cricket nets for the first time, McDermott said.

Members of the Black Caps are coming to play cricket against the students on November 12, and the $70,000 nets will be officially opened the next day.

A generous Old Boys community, the Queen St Cricket Club and the New Zealand Community Trust donated funds to pay for the three full length cricket nets, which will neighbour the school basketball court.

Aho, a year 13 prefect and a first 11 captain, helped kickstart the project.

"He's a very passionate cricket boy always in my ear about getting more equipment," McDermott said.

"From year nine, he's been walking around with a cricket bat in his hand all winter. He lives in those nets."

New Zealand cricketer Dion Nash, whose son Solomon attends St Paul's, is Aho's bowling coach.

"Siupeli is a fast bowler now," McDermott said. "I definitely wouldn't want to face him."

The sport director said there's a shortage of nets in central Auckland and the world class equipment will help the school continue growing the sport.

Traditionally known for its rugby league prowess, St Paul's College started to play cricket competitively in 2016.

The team won two of their three games, one against Macleans College and the other Mt Roskill Grammar School.

Mr Dermott said the competitive approach to cricket came about purely from the boys themselves.

"I think the team has really driven itself. They collected all their own fees. We set them a goal for fundraising, how much it would be to get new uniforms and they went out and collected it amongst themselves."

Since then he's seen the demand for cricket snowball.

Siupeli Aho of Te Atatu Peninsula (pictured) at his favourite stomping ground, St Paul's College sports field.