Black Caps pace bowler Trent Boult took out his frustrations at not playing any cricket in the ODI section of the South African tour when he single-handedly destroyed Greerton in the key Williams Cup game on Saturday.
Boult took 8/37 as Eves Realty Greerton were bowled out for 93 chasing the very gettable Element Cadets total of 130. His wicket haul included seven batsmen bowled and one LBW, and his figures would have been far better had it not been for a bizarre sequence of no-balls he bowled.
On five occasions he clean bowled batsmen, only to hear the dreaded cry of "no ball" from the umpire, and three times he hit the batsmen's castle with the free hit that followed each no-ball. Two of those raced to the boundary off the stumps to give Greerton easy runs.
It was certainly captivating to watch but, apart from a typically well-struck 20 from Brett Hampton, the Greerton batsmen were unable to catch up with Boult's thunderbolts.
You had to feel sorry for Greerton as they did so well in the field to dismiss Cadets for 130, and it needed a rollicking knock from Boult, who top-scored with 26, to get past the 100 mark. Dependable medium pacer Murray Jarvis took 3/3 with Hampton, Cameron Thomas and Mathew Earl picking up two wickets each.
Boult puts his overstepping down to too much training and not enough action out in the middle.
"I'm not sure why but I think at the net training I have been doing I have been getting over [the crease] a little bit, and I haven't played the game for a while so maybe that's why," Boult said.
"But apart from that it went well and obviously, as we got bowled out for 130, I had to go out there and try and win the game I guess. I don't come back and play half-arsed or anything and definitely that is the way it should be. Guys get a chance to play against first class and international cricketers so it is important I give my all like any other cricketer."
Boult was frustrated by his lack of game time after the test series in South Africa finished but is pleased to be selected in both the Twenty20 and ODI squads to play England before the test series.
"It was part and parcel with how the tour was. I got a couple of explanations why I wasn't playing. It is a shame but it is part of it I guess. I know test cricket is my format, and I have the most passion for, but it was good to be named in those squads. I think they are keen to give me a chance so I look forward to it if it comes."
Te Puke kept their place at the top of the table with Cadets after a battle of attrition with Mount Maunganui at the Te Puke Domain. The home side batted first and reached 183/7, with Mitch McCann continuing his golden run of form to top-score with a sparkling 80 runs.
Mount Maunganui struggled at their turn at the crease, with the top score of just 36 by new Bay skipper Peter Drysdale proof of how well the Te Puke bowling attack contained the innings.
McCann backed up his performance with the bat taking four wickets with his flighted off-spinners, with Jeremy Bates returning 3/37. But Mount hung in there and the final overs turned into a cliffhanger as they were finally bowled out for 179 to hand Te Puke a narrow four-run victory.
Tauranga Boys' College batsman Tom MacRury, who made his Bay of Plenty senior debut against Poverty Bay yesterday and shone for Northern Districts under-19s recently, showed his immense talent blasting an unbeaten 132 against BOP Indians at Smallbone Park in Rotorua.
BOP Indians, led by a solid 72 from Bay rep Bharat Popli, reached 207/9, with James Boyd taking three wickets for the college. However MacRury simply batted the match away from the home team, in an innings which included a six and 16 fours. Tauranga Boys' coach Mark Orchard was also there at the end with an undefeated 60, as his side cruised to a nine-wicket win.
East Bay United continued their roller coaster season when they beat Rotorua Central by seven wickets in Whakatane. Led by Northern Districts veteran bowler Graeme Aldridge, who took four wickets, the Eastern Bay team removed the visitors for 185. Shayde Perham top-scored for Central with 53 runs.
The home side made easy work of the run chase, getting home with seven wickets in hand. East Bay United's Bay rep Alex Yates showcased his batting talent again with 87 runs, with Mathew Carter scoring 66 not-out.