Bay of Plenty Cricket award winners for March named

Jono Boult had a fine season with the ball for Otumoetai Cadets. PHOTO/FILE

Three Bay of Plenty Baywide premier players were presented with the Bay of Plenty Cricket Association Player of the Month Awards for January and March last night.Bay of Plenty Cricket introduced the Bay of Plenty Cricket Awards in 2006 to recognise excellence during each month of the playing season.

Otumoetai Cadets new recruit Joshua Bates made an immediate impression in the first Williams Cup game of the season on January 27.

Batting first against Greerton, the former Christchurch resident scored 103 with 10 fours and six mighty shots over the boundary ropes.

Te Puke master blaster Tai Bridgman-Raison took his tally of club centuries to 13 when his team defeated Lake Taupo Cricket Club on March 3. Te Puke posted 267-7 with Bridgman-Raison belting 146 at a tad under a run a ball including 22 boundaries.

His century equalled Otumoetai Cadets batsman Llorne Howell's Baywide Premier Club cricket record set a decade ago.

Otumoetai Cadets captain Jono Boult took his side to the Williams Cup title decider they lost to Greerton with two match-winning bowling performances.

After Cadets posted 249-6 against Mount Maunganui, off-spinner Boult took 6-16 as the Mount were bundled out for 110. Eight days later, he took 6-22 as Central Indians were removed for just 72 in post-section play.

Three highly commended performances showed the future of cricket in the Bay of Plenty is in good hands. Bay of Plenty representative batsman Stephen Crossan hit his maiden minor association century against Waikato Valley in the last Fergus Hickey Rosebowl game of the season.

Tauranga Boys' College First XI batsman Taylor Bettelheim posted the most runs (215) at the recent Northern Districts First XI Cup finals week, scoring two centuries in four turns at bat.

Tauranga Intermediate batsmen Utsav Kumar (95no) and Luke Spargo (90) took their team to a 10-wicket victory in the final of the Bay of Plenty Cricket Association National Primary Cup final.

Bay of Plenty Cricket Association Player of the Month Awards 2017/18
November: Dominic Crombie (Bay of Plenty Development)
December: Joe Carter (Bay of Plenty)
January: Joshua Bates (Otumoetai Cadets)
February: Not Awarded
March: Jono Boult (Otumoetai Cadets), Tai Bridgman-Raison (Te Puke)