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Bay of Plenty Cricket 2018-19 Season Review – Players of the Month

Posted: Wednesday, 22 May 2019

Five Bay of Plenty Players of the Month Awards Presented During 2018-19 Season

Northern Districts all-rounder Brett Hampton, hammered the highest ever Baywide Twenty 20 score on the opening day (7 October 2018) of the new season, to take out the BOPCA October Player of the Month award.

In the opening stanza of the Baywide T20 competition, the Greerton master-blaster smashed 155 runs of around seventy balls against Te Puke. The Te Puke fielders could only stand and watch as Hampton blasted a remarkable 17 sixes, which gave him a tally of a century (102) smashed over the boundary ropes, at Boord Park in Rotorua.

Bay of Plenty Cricket introduced the BOPCA Player of the Month Award in 2006.  The purpose of the award is to recognise excellence in Bay of Plenty Cricket during each month of the playing season.

The Bay of Plenty Senior Men’s team lifted aloft the Brian Dunning Trophy in triumph, at the ND Twenty 20 tournament played in Taupo, 16-18 December 2018, winning all five games. The Bay of Plenty representatives controlled all five matches and were never seriously troubled over the three days of play at Owen Delaney Park, which earned the team the December Player of the Month prize.

Bay of Plenty’s dominance of the ND Twenty 20 tournament, was shown in the margins of their eight wickets, 83 runs, eight wickets, 67 runs and 109 run victories over Poverty Bay, Northland, Counties Manukau, Hamilton and Waikato Valley respectively.

The January Player of the month was Mount Maunganui bowler Craig Baldry, who  turned his team’s performance around against Otumoetai Cadets, in the penultimate round of the Baywide Twenty 20 qualifying competition. Mount Maunganui batted first, on Saturday 12th January 2019 at Fergusson Park in Tauranga and appeared to be in big trouble after being removed for 56 runs.

Mount Maunganui, knew that they needed one of their bowlers to step up to the plate, defending a very modest total. Craig Baldry picked up the ball at the first change with devastating effect. Five wickets at a cost of just 10 runs, resulted in Cadets being removed 11 runs short of their target – and to go on to win the Baywide T20 crown the following weekend.

Te Puke keeper-batsman Blair McKenzie, achieved the rare-as-hens-teeth feat of back to back Baywide premier centuries, during February 2019 to be selected as the February Player of the Month. First up, he blasted 121 against Cadets in Williams Cup action on the 9th February, smacking six 4’s and six 6’s in his turn at bat. Seven days later McKenzie belted 112 off 126 balls, to anchor his sides victory against Tauranga Boys College.

Bay of Plenty Development bowler Tim Pringle put on a stunning bowling performance, with the Bay of Plenty second eleven needing a comprehensive victory over Counties Manukau in their last game of the season, to win the Basil McBurney Trophy.

Bay of Plenty posted an extremely solid target, after they were bowled out for 258 with the last ball of their innings.

Counties Manukau got away to a flyer, being 65 without loss at the start of their thirteenth over. The introduction of Tim Pringle as the first change bowler had immediate results, with the Tauranga Boys College student taking the wickets of the Counties top three batsmen, for just 3 runs, to turn the momentum in the match.

Bay of Plenty had the visitors at 71/4, before Pringle completely wrecked the Counties Manukau reply with four further wickets, as the visitors were bundled out for 122 in the 33rd over. Tim finished the match with the outstanding bowling figures of 10 overs – 4 maidens – seven wickets for 25 runs.

The significance of the Tim Pringle seven wicket haul wasn’t realized, until after-match calculations, revealed that the bonus point victory cemented the Bay of Plenty ND Development competition victory by a whisker from Poverty Bay.

Bay of Plenty Cricket Player of the Month Awards 2018/19

October: Brett Hampton (Greerton Cricket Club)

November: Not Awarded

December: Bay of Plenty Senior Representative team

January: Craig Baldry (Mount Maunganui CC)

February: Blair McKenzie (Te Puke CC)

March: Tim Pringle (Bay of Plenty Development team)

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