Cricket: Bay hopes vanish as batting splinters

Captain Peter Drysdale's Bay of Plenty side lost to Counties Manukau in Taupo, ending their chances of winning the Fergus Hickey Rosebowl. Photo / George Novak

Bay of Plenty fell at the final hurdle in pursuit of securing Northern Districts' automatic Hawke Cup challenge berth.

The Bay suffered a disappointing loss to Counties Manukau in Taupo yesterday.

They delivered with the ball first up, dismissing Counties for 188 to give themselves every chance of chasing down the target inside 40 overs to secure a bonus point and the Fergus Hickey Rosebowl trophy.

It was with the bat that the problems began. The Bay were reduced to 30-2 when Tom MacRury joined fellow opener Peter Drysdale in the hut in the seventh over.

The association's last Hawke Cup holders showed their hand by batting trump card Brett Hampton at No4, but his 37 from 35 was the only real contribution in a disappointing chase.

Under artificial scoreboard pressure due to the state of the competition, the Bay folded for just 132 in the 30th over, to fall short by 58 runs.

Things had begun well, the Bay rewarded for having plenty of slow-bowling options. The eight wickets to fall off the spin bowling included two run-outs as Counties tried to escape the clutches of the Bay's suffocating ground fielding.

Jason Trembath took two big middle-order scalps to give the Bay a chance of restricting the opposition to an attainable target.

Bowling at the death inflated his figures, but snaring Jono Hickey off his own bowling and having Barry Rhodes stumped for an 11-ball duck by Tim Clarke meant Counties were never likely to post an imposing target.

The double strike came as Counties lost four wickets for just one run, crumbling from a healthy 90-2 to 91-6 in a five-over period.

Mitch McCann bowled well in that period, earning innings-best figures of 2-14.

Luke Williamson was the only batsman to apply any pressure - his 42 runs from 46 balls most responsible for the Bay's chase being set at close to five runs per over to claim the title.

Tony Manning contributed 33 at the top of the order while five others reached double figures without kicking on.