Geyser City Face a Big First-Up Hurdle in Their Baywide Cup Debut

Posted: Thursday, 3 October 2019

Opening Round on Saturday

Geyser City Cricket face a extremely big hurdle in their entrance into the Bay of Plenty Cricket Baywide Cup premier competition, drawing defending title holders Eves Realty Greerton in the opening round on Saturday (5 October 2019).

The Geyser City Cricket Club are making the step up to Baywide premier cricket for the first time, since being established some three decades ago.

Greerton steamrollered their way to victory in last years Baywide Cup, reaching the title decider with an unbeaten record, before dispatching Element IMF Cadets to win the Baywide trophy for the third occasion.

Cadets, who entered the 2018 title decider as the defending Baywide Cup champions, batted first on a wicket that looked to have plenty of assistance for the bowlers. The Tauranga Domain based side, lost their first three wickets with just 25 runs on the board, before going on to set Greerton a target of 168 for victory.

At 100 for the loss of a solitary wicket, Greerton appeared to be cruising, before the Cadets bowlers struck back to rip out five Greerton batsmen for just a handful of runs.

Enter Tom Renouf batting at eight, as he defied the Cadets bowling storm to take his team through to a one wicket win, with an unbeaten 36 runs.

Cadets, who host New World Te Puke at Mitchell Park, have experience in spades in skipper Jono Boult who seems to have been around the local cricket scene forever. A century of Northern Knights appearances and 2440 runs and 155 Bay of Plenty representative wickets, give his side an edge that few premier sides in the country can call on.

Hard hitting Te Puke captain Stephen Crossan, warmed up for this years Baywide competition, when he smashed a century at the inaugural Lake Taupo Spring T20 Cup in Taupo last weekend. Crossan, blasted the highest score of the weekend tournament, smacking 102 from the 65 balls he faced against Karaka from Counties Manukau. The Bay of Plenty top-order master blaster hammered eleven 4’s and fives 6’s in his time at the crease at Owen Delany Park.

The use of artificial wickets in the opening round of the Baywide Cup, sees Waipuna Park make a rare appearance as a Baywide cricket venue, where Bond & Co Tauranga Boys College will host Generation Homes Lake Taupo. Indications received are that both teams have bolstered their playing strength this season and they could both trouble the more fancied contenders, during the three Baywide competitions.

Eight-time Baywide Champion of Champions, Carrus Mount Maunganui, kick off their Baywide season campaign with a tough assignment, when Bayleys Central Indians pay a visit to Blake Park on Saturday.

The Rotorua combined side, were in sterling form in the second half of last season, with a third place finish in the Baywide Twenty 20 competition and finishing runner-up to Cadets in the Williams Cup.

However Mount Maunganui at home, is never an easy encounter, with the Mount Maunganui troops sure to be eager to grab the win points on offer.

BOPCA Baywide Cup Draw 5 October 2019

Bond & Co Tauranga Boys College v Generation Homes Lake Taupo, Waipuna 2; Carrus Mount Maunganui v Bayleys Central Indians, Blake3; Geyser City Cricket v Eves Realty Greerton, Smallbone Park; Element IMF Cadets v New World Te Puke, Mitchell Park.

2018 Baywide Cup Honours

Runs: 219 Nick Hendrie (Eves Realty Greerton) 188 Tai Bridgeman-Raison (New World Te Puke) 187 Jake Rowe (Bayleys Central Indians)

Centuries: 104no Tai Bridgeman-Raison - 101no Jake Rowe

Wickets: 13 Brody Gilroy (New World Te Puke) 11 Josh Earle (New World Te Puke) 10 Jacob Logan (Element IMF Cadets) 10 Peter Drysdale (Carrus Mount Maunganui)

Baywide Cup Champions

2018/19 (Greerton) 2017/18 (Otumoetai Cadets) 2016/17 (Mount Maunganui) 2015/16 (Greerton) 2014/15 (Greerton) 2013/14 (Mount Maunganui) 2012/13 (Mount Maunganui) 2011/12 (Otumoetai Cadets) 2010/11 (Mount Maunganui) 2009/10 (Mount Maunganui) 2008/09 (Mount Maunganui) 2007/08 (Otumoetai Cadets)

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