Lake Taupo¯ win against Geyser City
Generation Homes Lake Taupo¯ Premiers will take on Tauranga Boys College Premiers to decide the Bay of Plenty Plate after their win over Geyser City Premiers at Owen Delany Park last Saturday.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, early wickets had the hosts in trouble at 19/3. A solid partnership between Drew Brierley and Jack Wiggins steadied the home side’s innings, however when Brierley was dismissed for 66, the home side were yet again teetering at 107/6. Lake Taupo¯ youngster Louie Love-Parata made an immediate impact on his return from university studies by crafting a well played 56 from 71 balls. Ably supported by Taupo¯ Veteran AJ How (32), the pair combined for a 82 run partnership to see Lake Taupo¯ through to 203/9 from their 50 overs.
In the 2nd innings, early wickets to the Taupo¯ opening bowlers put the visitors on the back foot. AJ How followed up his good day at the crease by claiming the first ever premier grade hat trick for a Taupo¯ bowler and blew the middle order apart to reduce Geyser to 50-6. Liam Kelly’s lower order heroics couldn’t prevent the home side from romping home to a 74 run win.
An overs-reduced match in the Sulphur City saw Tauranga Boys College Premiers earn the right to meet Lake Taupo¯ in the Bay of Plenty Plate final. Tauranga Boys restricted Bayleys Central Indians to 109/8, before getting home with five wickets to spare. Both teams will square off at Owen Delany Park this Saturday, at 12pm.
In Rotorua Senior Reserve Grade action, the 40 over competition got under way in scorching conditions across the South Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
Taupo¯ Cossie College Old Boys’ first game of the season kicked off at Owen Delany with the home side batting first. Simon Dufty was the pick of the batsmen, dispatching the opposition bowling to all parts knocking up an 95* off 112 balls with 6 boundaries and 3 dispatched over the ropes. Chris Jackson continued his fine form with 63 off 50 balls including 11 boundaries and together with Dufty and the Taupo¯ middle order, the home side posted a formidable 250/3 off their 40 overs.
In the Geyser Reserves turn at the crease, wickets fell regularly as the visitors were bundled out for 117. Jason Day cleaned up the tail finishing with 3/11 off five overs and man of the match Dufty grabbed 3/28 off six to cap a remarkable day for the veteran.
Generation Homes Lake Taupo¯ CC Reserves travelled up to Rotorua to face Geyser City Mavericks. Batting first, the visitors amassed 266/6 from their 40 overs.
Ash Wijetillake (46) and Abhi Gupta (72) did most of the damage, combining for a 118-run partnership through the middle overs. LTCC veteran Jerome Dyer (37*) and new recruit Alex
Guinnness (21) added some late firepower to see Lake Taupo¯ through to 266 for the loss of six wickets. Geyser opening bowler Cohen Stewart showed plenty of potential picking up two wickets for 48 runs.
The daunting total on the board proved too much for the young side from Rotorua losing regular wickets, with Harrison Hill (20) the only player to offer much resistance. Lake Taupo¯ CC bowlers Nathan McNeish, Caleb Bate and Nathan Bate picking up 2 wickets apiece. Results:
Generation Homes Lake Taupo¯ CC 203/9 (D Brierley 66, L Love-Parata 56, A How 32, B Hogan 3/47) Defeated Geyser City Premiers 129 (L Kelly 71, A How 3/15, D Brierley 3/23)
Taupo¯ Cossie College Old Boys A 250/3 (S Dufty 95*, C Jackson 63) Defeated Geyser City Reserves 117 (J Day 3/11, S Dufty 3/28)
Generation Homes Lake Taupo¯ CC Reserves 266/6 (A Gupta 72, A Wijetillake 46, J Dyer 37*) defeated Geyser City Mavericks 166/10 (H Hill 20, N McNeish 19/2, C Bate 34/2, N Bate 37/2)