Two Bay of Plenty Senior Representaive Teams Face a Season of Big Challenges

Posted: Thursday, 19 September 2019

Senior Men & Development Teams 2019/20 Season Preview

Two Northern Districts Cricket title defences and the lure of a Hawke Cup Direct Challenge, await the Bay of Plenty Cricket Senior Men’s and Development teams in the 2019/20 representative season.

Tai Bridgman-Raison BOPCA Pathways Manager said “There is a real sense of excitement amongst the playing group after such a successful 2018-19 season. The players are working hard as they prepare to defend the Brain Dunning and Basil McBurney trophies, with the added motivation of a possible Hawke Cup challenge”.

“We have a very talented group of young players progressing through from our Senior Secondary and Development squads, which has created a healthy competition for spots in the Senior Men’s team”. “From an Association perspective, the priority is very much on developing players who have the potential to play at a higher level. If our development programs are effective, then short-term goals such as winning trophies and competitions will take care of themselves”.

A vital first-up ND Fergus Hickey Rosebowl encounter, with long-time rivals Northland in the Far North on the 23/24 November 2019, could open the door to a Hawke Cup Direct Challenge early in 2020. The annual Northern Districts Hawke Cup challenger, is found after a calendar year competition within the framework of the ND Fergus Hickey Rosebowl contests.

With current Hawke Cup titleholders Hamilton on top of the current points tally, this leaves Bay of Plenty and Waikato Valley on 17 points and Northland one point in arrears, in contention for the 2020 ND Hawke Cup Direct Challenge.

The scenario is that Bay of Plenty must defeat Northland. In the event of Bay of Plenty and Waikato Valley finishing on equal points, the Bay side would book the Direct Challenge berth against Hamilton, courtesy of taking first innings points when the two sides met in March 2019.

The second big target for the Bay of Plenty Senior Men’s representatives, is their defence of the Brian Dunning Trophy, at the ND Twenty 20 tournament at Owen Delany Park in Taupo 15-17 December 2019.

Bay of Plenty dominated last season’s ND T20 fixtures, defeating Poverty Bay and Counties Manukau for the loss of just two wickets in both encounters. They continued on to get past Northland and arch-rivals Hamilton by 83 and 67 runs respectively, and saving the best for last dispatched Waikato Valley by 109 runs.

While defending the Basil McBurney Trophy is a major mission for the Bay of Plenty Development side in the next six months – the Bay Second XI primary role, is to provide senior representative experience to the promising young players of the region, to make successful transitions to the Bay of Plenty Senior Men’s side.

A heartbreaking 3 run loss to Poverty Bay and three successive victories, took the Bay side to the brink of the Basil McBurney prize, in a 2018/19 season title decider against Counties Manukau.

Two Bay of Plenty Development young men, stood up and simply took the game away from the Counties representatives with game winning performances. Keeper Ben Pomare blasted 114 runs in the Bays total of 258, with Tim Pringle grabbing seven wickets at a cost of 25 runs, as Counties Manaukau were rolled for 122 to hand Bay of Plenty the ND Development title.

BOPCA Senior Representative Program 2019-2020 Season

BOPCA Senior Men’s Team

23/24 Nov Fergus Hickey Rosebowl v Northland @ Cobham Oval

15-17 Dec ND Brian Dunning T20 tournament @ Owen Delaney Park, Taupo

8/9 Feb Fergus Hickey Rosebowl v Hamilton @Tauranga Domain

22/23 Feb Fergus Hickey Rosebowl v Waikato Valley @ Blake Park

7/8 March Fergus Hickey Rosebowl v Counties Manukau - away

BOPCA Development Team

17 Nov Basil McBurney Trophy v Northland - away

1 Dec Basil McBurney Trophy v Poverty Bay @ Bay Oval

1 Feb Basil McBurney Trophy v Counties Manukau – away

16 Feb Basil McBurney Trophy v Hamilton @ Bay Oval

1 March Basil McBurney Trophy v Waikato Valley @ Tauranga Domain

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