Two Wicket Keepers Take Centre Stage in Bay of Plenty Cup Action

Posted: Friday, 8 November 2019

9 November Bay of Plenty Cup Preview

A steady pair of hands behind the stumps is a prerequisite to team success on the cricket field. This Saturday (9 November 2019) two of the best glovemen in Baywide premier cricket, will square off in the Bay of Plenty Cup, when Carrus Mount Maunganui meet New World Te Puke at Fergusson Park.

Te Puke keeper Blair McKenzie and Mount Maunganui's Ben Pomare, both made their Bay of Plenty senior representative debuts last season, sharing the wicket keeping duties after the retirement of long serving keeper Tim Clarke.

Both players have had a big start to the current season. Ben Pomare earned selection for the New Zealand Under 19 team, who played their Bangladesh counterparts in a five game series, in Canterbury during October.

Last weekend, Blair McKenzie anchored Te Pukes victory over Bond & Co Tauranga Boys College, belting 109 runs in a patient innings of 144 balls. His early season three figure score sits alongside back to back centuries last season.

Bayleys Central Indians, who have slipped off the pace after a scintillating start to the Bay of Plenty Cup, will want to get their semi-final prospects back on track against Generation Homes Lake Taupo, at Smallbone Park.

The Lake Taupo side can be well pleased with their season so far, after joining the Baywide ranks two seasons ago. Two wins and competitive matches against the Western Bay heavyweights, suggest that the Great Lakes representatives have learned many lessons from their initial season in Baywide cricket.

Element IMF Cadets, will be heavily favoured to defeat Geyser City, at Cadets headquarters at the Tauranga Domain. The Rotorua based Bay of Plenty Cup new recruits sit at the bottom of the standings and are going through a similar learning curve to Lake Taupo last season.

There have been a number of Geyser City individual performances that are giving Geyser City much optimism in the first Baywide cricket foray. Sam Kershaw sits in second place in the batting stakes with Satpal Singh taking a four wickets bag against competition leaders Greerton.

Bay of Plenty Cup front runners Eves Realty Greerton, will put their unbeaten season start on the line, when Tauranga Boys College pays a visit to Pemberton Park. The encounter will have an additional edge with the Western Bay of Plenty Challenge prize of the Baker Cup on the line.

BOPCA Bay of Plenty Cup Draw 9 November 2019

Bayleys Central Indians v Generation Homes Lake Taupo, Smallbone Park; Eves Realty Greerton v Bond & Co Tauranga Boys College; Pemberton Park; New World Te Puke v Carrus Mount Maunganui, Fergusson 3; Element IMF Cadets v Geyser City; Tauranga Domain.

Points Table: Greerton 35, Te Puke 29, Mount Maunganui 26, Cadets 17, Central Indians 17, Lake Taupo CC 17, Tauranga Boys College 14, Geyser City 5.

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