John McGlashan College is better known for its academic achievements than its endeavours on the cricket field.
But the school's First XI hopes to change that over the course of the next five days when it flies the flag for the province at the finals of the Gillette Cup in Palmerston North this week.
It is the first time the school has appeared in the finals of New Zealand's premier secondary school tournament and the school's sports co-ordinator Michael MacKenzie, while optimistic, was also measured when asked about his side's prospects.
"We have to be realistic. We're a school of 500 and when you look at some of the other schools, they have the numbers and have good cricketing backgrounds," he explained.
"So it is going to be a tough task but then anything can happen on the day, can't it? That's how we'll be looking at it."Michael Rae (year 10) and Tom Myles (year 13) will spearhead the bowling attack with right-hand opener Fergus McCrimmon expected to be one of the leading scorers for the school.
Captain Barry Schmidt is a useful all-rounder and left-hand dasher Sam Pringle is another name to look out for, MacKenzie said.
John McGlashan opens its campaign against the 2008 champion Hamilton Boys' High School today and will play Wellington's Hutt International Boys' School tomorrow and Palmerston North Boys' High School on Thursday.
The playoffs get under way on Friday.
Otago Boys' High School has made the finals 10 times and won the tournament in 1992 and 1993.
In the New Zealand Community Trust Girls Cricket Cup finals, which got under way in Taupo yesterday, St Hilda's Collegiate lost to Epsom Girls' Grammar School by 143 runs.
Epsom Girls' scored 223 for six with Madaleine Green top-scoring with 100.
Mandy MacDonald was the best of the St Hilda's bowlers taking three for 41.
St Hilda's managed just 80 in reply.
