Year 11 student Aidan Grant impressed with both bat and ball, earning Auckland's Most Valuable Player award at the 2026 Indoor Cricket Junior Provincials.

Year 11 student Aidan Grant has been recognised for his outstanding performances at the 2026 Indoor Cricket Junior Provincials, held in Wellington from 6–9 July. The four-day tournament brought together the country's top young indoor cricketers, with teams from across New Zealand competing in multiple age groups at Hutt Indoor Sports.

Representing the Auckland Under 16 team, Aidan and his teammates faced a challenging opening match against tournament favourites and hosts Wellington Black. Despite the tough start, Auckland continued to improve throughout the tournament, growing in confidence and producing some impressive performances against strong opposition.

One of the highlights came in the Plate semi-final against Southern. With the scores level at the end of the match, the game was decided by a super over. Bowling first, Aidan produced an excellent over to restrict Southern to a chaseable total before Auckland held its nerve to complete the run chase and secure a thrilling victory.

Auckland carried that momentum into the Plate final, defeating Wellington Gold to finish fifth overall. Aidan played a key role throughout the tournament, finishing as Auckland's fourth-highest run scorer and second-leading wicket taker. His outstanding all-round performances were recognised with the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Congratulations, Aidan, on an outstanding tournament and this well-deserved recognition. We look forward to following your continued success.