Baywide Premier Team Preview

Posted: Friday, 29 September 2017

Seven Teams To Start The Chase For Baywide Cricket Glory

The final hit-outs for the Baywide Premier season will take place this weekend (30 September/1 October 2017), as the seven teams ready their troops for the start of the Baywide competitions on Saturday 7th October 2017.

As is usual at the start of each cricket season, there have been comings and goings as new players arrive and club stalwarts depart and retire. For the first time a team from Taupo will contest the BOPCA Baywide title races.

Carrus Mount Maunganui will enter the forthcoming season with the Hart Family Trophy (Premier Champion of Champions) in their trophy cabinet. The team that wears the green and gold uniform with great pride, has won the Hart Family Trophy on eight occasions since it was first contested a decade ago.

Mount Maunganui Captain Dale Swan said “While we have no notable signings this year, there is a strong core and with four senior teams, we will rely on the depth in our club throughout the season”.

“We are looking to build upon last season’s success and have retained the majority of our squad, which is paramount in building our foundations for this year”. “With another busy representative season we will need runs and wickets from our whole squad. The experience in our side leaves the ability for all players to turn on some serious form. Key is to get it to click early and get back to our formidable best”.

Williams Cup titleholders Element IMF Cadets are in the words of Captain Jono Boult “the team to beat” in all three forms of the Baywide game this season. Boult, who is a longtime Cadets player and has played over a century of games for Northern Districts, picks up the captain’s reigns for the first time in the upcoming season.

“Sean Davey and Rueben Clinton are back after successful off-seasons in the UK, with Kersley Corder looking in good nick in pre-season training. Ben Christensen, Joe Carter and Scott Steward will be the heart of the team and we look forward to seeing our Black Caps in Trent Boult and Corey Anderson at some stage”.

“The future of the club is in good hands with youngster Tim Pringle joining Fergus Lellman, with both players having a big future in the game” said the Cadets skipper.

Eves Realty Greerton will be significantly bolstered by the return of Bay of Plenty representative bowler Tommy Clout to the premier side. “It is exciting to have Tommy return to the team from sitting on the sideline with injury last year, as he is a match winner with the ball in hand” said Greerton Captain Shane Wineti.

“Josh Ormrod and Lee Watkins will be important contributors with the bat this summer and we welcome back Josh Bates who is another key player who we expect to score plenty of runs”. “Consistency is a big key for us as we came fourth in the two Baywide competitions last season, which was disappointing. We are looking to improve from that, which means individuals stepping up to contribute with bat, ball and in the field, every game”. `

Returning New World Te Puke captain Stephen Crossan said “This summer we have a great balance of youth and experience”. “Having the experience of Tai Bridgman-Raison and Charles Williams through to the development of our younger players. Josh Earle, Cam Riley and Dan Price all got a taste of premier cricket last season and are ready to put their names in the limelight”.

“Christian MacDonald and Gareth Wallace will be looking to build on successful off-seasons in the UK, while Bay representative Alastair Blackett is a great addition to our club and will be dangerous with both bat and ball. Tai Bridgman-Rasion will again lead our batting lineup”.

Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys College will have had an extensive pre-season build-up, after their tour of South Africa. Tauranga Boys player/coach Tim Clarke said “This will be an exciting season for Tauranga Boys First XI with the same core group staying together, after many of the team made their premier debut earlier this year”.

“After the success of reaching the National finals of the NZ Cricket First XI Cup and finishing third in the Baywide Cup, it will be exciting to see the boys a year older and wiser in experience”.

“Key players will be our core group of young leaders in Mikaere Leef, Dominic Crombie, Marcel Collett, Craig Baldry, Ben Pomare and Iman Singh who made his debut for the Bay of Plenty Senior Men’s team in the last twelve months”.

Bayleys Central Indians team spokesman Paddy Hayes “Past BOP Indian Sports Captain Yohaan Irani returns to the sides after missing last season, while Samil Kumar from Rajasthan in India will make his debut. Both are quality top-order batsmen who will provide additional depth this season”. “Jake Rowe who is another new recruit, is an English all-rounder who has taken six months from teaching to play for us”.

“We are focusing on plugging any holes exposed last season and building on what we have learnt. Expectations are that we can turn the close games into wins and by doing so, put ourselves in finals contention”. “Having a stronger batting lineup with more runs on the board will help achieve that and give the bowling lineup led by Andrew Gibbs, the extra latitude that was not always there last season”.

The current season will bring a Taupo based team into the Baywide Premier ranks for the first time. Formed just fifteen months, ago the Lake Taupo Cricket Club made a successful entrance playing in (by invitation) and winning both the Western Bay of Plenty Cricket First Round and Championship titles.

Lake Taupo CC spokesman Jerome Dyer said the teams key players are Captain Roger Urbahn, Habib Malik and Blair Inch. “Roger is the sides opening bowler and a useful right-hand batsman taking 28 wickets in the Western Bay competition”.

“Last year’s overseas player Habib Malik from Scotland has decided to permanently settle in Taupo and is a quality all-rounder, who averaged 42 runs per match with the bat and took 35 wickets during the season”.“Left-hand batsmen Blaine Inch is the rock in the top order, hitting the winning runs in the Western Bay of Plenty Championship title decider”.

Carrus Mount Maunganui
Home Ground: Blake Park
2016/17 Top Four Finishes: Winner Baywide Cup; R/U Williams Cup (Hart Family Trophy – Baywide Champion of Champions)
Player Losses: Blair McKenzie, Luke Tatley.
Captain: Dale Swan

Element IMF Cadets
Home Ground: Tauranga Domain
2016/17 Top Four Finishes: Winner Williams Cup; R/U Baywide Cup.
Player Gains: Sam Owen (Blackpool, UK) Tim Pringle.
Captain: Jono Boult

Eves Realty Greerton
Home Ground: Pemberton Park
2016/17 Top Four Finishes: Fourth Baywide Cup; Fourth Williams Cup.
Player Gains: Sean Wakelin, Tom Renouf (Tauranga Boys College) Tom Wakelin (Te Puke) Josh Bates, Tommy Clout (injury).
Player Losses: Cameron Neal, Daniel Spencer, Harrison Perry.
Captain: Shane Wineti

New World Te Puke
Home Ground: Te Puke Domain
2016/17 Top Four Finishes: Third Williams Cup.
Player Gains: Charles Williams (Tauranga Boys College) Alastair Blackett (Central Indians)
Captain: Stephen Crossan

Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys College
Home Ground: Nicholson Field
2016/17 Top Four Finishes: Third Baywide Cup.
Player Losses: Charles Williams, Tom Renouf, Seam Wakelin.
Captain/Coach: Tim Clarke.

Bayleys Central Indians
Home Ground: Smallbone Park/Boord Park
Player Gains: Yohaan Irani (returning) Jake Rowe (England) Sahil Kumar.
Captain: Andrew Gibbs

GM Painters Lake Taupo CC
Home Ground: Owen Delaney Park
Captain: Roger Urbahn

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