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Te Puke have grabbed their first win of the WBOPCA Reserve Grade season by upsetting reigning reserve division champions R&A Sangha at Centennial Park.
The home side batted first and reached 218/8, with Supreet Singh blasting 97 not out. Te Puke then dismissed Sangha for 170 to bring about the first real upset of the Western Bay season.
The upsets continued with newcomers Sikh Sports Club defeating competition leaders Mount Maunganui. The Mount team posted 230/5 with Russ Williams in good touch, blasting 94 runs. With the game going down to the wire, the Sikh Sports tail wagged with the new recruits getting home with two wickets to spare.
Katikati set Greerton a target of 191 and then bowled the home side out for 100, with Matt Earl taking 3/17. Steve Gilroy top-scored for the winners with a hard-fought 42 not out.
Cadets grabbed a share of the competition lead, with Mount Maunganui, after they defeated Tauranga Boys' College. In what was a close-run contest, the Tauranga students were removed for 168, with Cadets having to fight hard for their two-wicket win.
New B Grade recruits Singh XI, who draw their players from the Te Puke region, continued their dream start to the season with their third successive victory. Greerton made a good start, but their middle order and tail capitulated to be bowled out for just 87, allowing the Singh XI to cruise to an eight-wicket victory.
Wanderers, who won the B Grade championship last season, posted their first win of the new season with an easy win over Albion. Wanderers reached 198 all out then removed Albion for just 53. A century from Grasshoppers batsman Andy Balfour propelled Hoppers to a win over Mount Maunganui, with Katikati losing to Cadets.
WBOPCA
Reserve Grade results, November 1: Mount Maunganui 230/5 (Russ Williams 94) lost to Sikh Sports CC 231/8; Te Puke 218/8 (Supreet Singh 97no, Raminder Singh 44, Varinder Sandhu 3/22) defeated R&A Sangha 170 (GS Sandhu 35, Vishvas Vishu 42, Sukveer Singh 3/12); Katikati 190/9 (Steve Gilroy 42no, Joel Kurisi 4/42) defeated Greerton 100 (Matt Earl 3/17); TBC 2nd XI 168 (Josh Turner 39no, Grant Manners 3/32) lost to Cadets 169/8 (Colin Robb 45, Kamal Bains 4/28, Josh Turner 3/21)
Points: (Provisional) Mount Maunganui 49, Cadets 49, R&A Sangha 48, Sikh Sports 40, Katikati 40, Te Puke 37, TBC 34, Greerton 22.
B Grade results, November 1: Mount Maunganui 182/9 (Blair Parlane 71, Mark McTammeny 51, Wayne Anderson 4/15) lost to Grasshoppers 183/3 (Andrew Balfour 106no, Bob Curran 39no); Wanderers 198 (D Englebreht 44, Colin Foord 42; Mike Summerville 2/28) defeated Albion 53 (Ivan Foord 4/16); Greerton 87 lost to Singh XI 88/2; Katikati 68 lost to Cadets 69/6
Points: (Provisional) Grasshoppers 18, Cadets 18, Singh XI 18, Katikati 9, Wanderers 6, Greerton 3, Albion 0, Mount Maunganui 0.