Blast from Past Volume 3

Posted: Tuesday, 26 June 2018

2004 IMF Otumoetai Cadets win NZ Club Championships

In this edition of the Bay of Plenty Cricket Blast from the Past we look back at the 2004 BOPCA Annual Report, which chronicles Otumoetai Cadets annexing the New Zealand Club Championships. They remain the only ND representatives to win the national title.

The Otumoetai Cadets premier cricket team has claimed the title of the best club cricket team in New Zealand, after winning the New Zealand Cricket National Club Championship in Auckland during Easter 2004.

The path to the national championship title was long with the Otumoetai champions losing just one match from eight on the journey. The passage to the nationals finals played at Cornwall Park, began when Cadets defeated Pukekohe-Metro in the ND semi-final. Cadets had reached the semi-final by virtue of being the current (2003) Bay of Plenty one-day champions.

Ryan King and Mathew Drake blasted Otumoetai Cadets into the national final, when they faced Kaipara Flats (Northland) in the ND Final played in Hamilton. After winning the toss, the Cadets top order made a solid start before Ryan King and Mathew Drake arrived at the wicket. The two new players set a mammoth target for the Northland team, with both batsmen still at the crease at the conclusion of fifty overs. King who has been in great touch in Baywide cricket in recent weeks, punished the opposition bowling attack with a magnificent 107 not out. No less impressive was Mathew Drake who finished with an unbeaten 88.

Kaipara were never in the match, with highly promising youngster Jono Boult grabbing six wickets, to be the main contributor to dismissing the Northland side for just 134. The right hand off spinner mesmerised the opposition to return the superb bowling figures of 6 wickets for 24 runs.

Cadets arrived in Auckland to commence play on the Tuesday prior to Easter and emerged as National Champions on Easter Sunday, after six days of continuous cricket. The format is five days of round robin play, between the champion club sides from the six New Zealand Cricket major associations, followed by finals day. On their way to claiming the title of champion club team in the country, they beat all five teams in the tournament. While beaten by tournament favourites Upper Valley from Wellington, in the last of the round robin matches, the defeat was reversed in a dramatic action packed final.

In a final that turned into a real cliff-hanger Cadets batted first and appeared to have lost their way when they reached a modest 161/9. Ryan King was the only Cadets player to post a significant total, when he reached the half-century mark. With rain interrupting the Wellington side turn at bat they were set a target of just 144 from 44 overs. The Cadets bowling pair of Barry Folster and Gavin Donne restricted the batting total while steadily grabbing wickets. The tension was electric, as Upper Valley required three runs from the last over with their last two batsmen at the wicket. Barry Folster took the last wicket with three balls left for Cadets to snatch victory by two runs.

The Road to the Top
ND Club Semi-Final
Otumoetai Cadets defeated Pukekohe-Metro

ND Club Final
Otumoetai Cadets 277/2 (R King 107no, M Drake 88no, G Donne 44, J Boult 22) defeated Kaipara Flats 134 (J Boult 6/24, B Folster 2/15).

New Zealand Cricket National Club Finals
Day One
St Albans (Christchurch) 220/9 lost to Otumoetai Cadets (target 106 in 20 overs) 110/0 –10.1 over
Day Two (35 over match)
Albion (Otago) 214/3 (J Boult 3/18) lost to Cadets 217/5 (D Flynn 73, K Sargent 34, M Drake 34)
Day Three
Otumoetai Cadets 139 defeated Palmerston North United (Central Districts) 72 (C Wilson 5/22, G Donne 3/14)
Day Four
Cadets 239 (G Donne 53, M Drake 41) defeated Grafton United (Auckland) 187 (C Wilson 6/47)
Day Five
Upper Valley (Wellington) 241/7 defeated Cadets 128 (M Drake 49no)
Final
Otumoetai Cadets 161/9 (R King 50) defeated Upper Valley (target 144 from 44 overs) 142 (B Folster 5/25, G Donne 4/32)

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