Bay Of Plenty To Square Off With Hawkes Bay In Pre-Season Cricket Action

Posted: Thursday, 19 October 2017

BOP Senio Men

The new format of Twenty 20 cricket, introduced at the ND One-Day tournament played in Taupo in December, has changed the approach to the annual pre-season hit-out against Hawkes Bay over Labour weekend (21/22 October 2017).

Fergusson Park will host two T20 games on Saturday, with a fifty over aside match-up between the “Two Bays” taking centre stage on Sunday. The Bay of Plenty selectors, have taken the opportunity to introduce a number of young players still attending secondary school, to senior men’s representative cricket.

Cameron Riley, Sean Dykes, Ben Pomare, Craig Baldry and Tim Pringle are all still attending local secondary schools and while they have all played premier and age-group cricket, the weekend games will be another learning step in their fledgling cricket careers.

BOPCA Cricket Manager Tai Bridgman-Raison said “Cameron, Sean, Ben, Tim and Craig have been on the radar for a number of years as successful age-group cricketers. It is great to see them now making the transition into district men’s cricket”.

“The selection group have done an excellent job balancing youth and experience. Hawkes Bay are a quality side so it will be a challenging weekend of cricket which is ideal as early season preparation”. “It is also a good opportunity to try out various batting and bowling combinations over two separate formats of the game”.

Experience in spades against Hawkes Bay, is provided by several players that will wear the “baggy” fifty game cap over the two days at Fergusson Park. Peter Drysdale who has played 80 games in the Blue and Gold uniform, overtook Grant Manners (79) to move into third place on the list of all-time Bay of Plenty appearances, last season.

Jono Boult has become a fixture in the Bay side, when not on ND duty, after making his Bay of Plenty debut in the 2003/04 season. Wicketkeeper Tim Clarke and Brett Hampton, are two other players who have fifty plus games in the Bay of Plenty uniform.

Bay of Plenty Teams
Saturday Game One T20: Tom MacRury, Stephen Crossan, Joe Carter, Sean Davey, Jono Boult (captain) Matt Golding, Tim Clarke, Christian MacDonald, Peter Drysdale, Cameron Riley, Tim Pringle, James Boyd.
Saturday Game Two T20: Tim Clarke, Peter Drysdale, Joe Carter, Brett Hampton, Jono Boult (captain) Ben Musgrave, Stephen Crossan, Iman Singh, Brody Gilroy, Chris Atkinson, Tim Pringle, one to be added.

Sunday Fifty Over: Peter Drysdale (captain) Tom MacRury, Ben Musgrave, Sean Davey, Brett Hampton, Sean Dykes, Alastair Blackett, Christian MacDonald Ben Pomare, Cameron Riley, Chris Atkinson, Craig Baldry.

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