Cricket: Te Puke’s Bay of Plenty Cup final opponents found

Te Puke will meet Mount Maunganui in the Bay of Plenty Cup final on January 14.

Baywide cricket

Te Puke sat out the final round the Bay of Plenty Cup with a bye, safe in the knowledge that their place in the final was secure.

Mount Maunganui, playing Pāpāmoa, and Cadets who were taking on Central Indians in Saturday’s final round, were both in the hunt to be Te Puke’s opponents.

The pendulum swung very much in Mount Maunganui’s favour after Cadets were bowled out for a modest 137 by Central Indians at the Tauranga Domain.

The hosts were in early trouble at three down with just 26 runs on the board.

Newly-selected New Zealand Under-19 player, Sam Clode, and Sam Clegg put on a middle-order rescue with a 57-run partnership. Clode top-scored with a gritty 46, with Cadets having plenty of work to do with the ball, to take out a required outright victory.

Cadets bowlers Spencer Wills and Cameron Murray, were equal to the task with both taking four wickets bags, as the Rotorua side was bowled out for 109.

There were frequent electronic checks on the Cadets progress by the Mount side at Blake Park, with the home team in some trouble at 86/5, against Pāpāmoa.

Enter Mount veteran Matt Golding and bowler Craig Baldry. Golding dug in and was rewarded with 47 not out with Baldry opening his wings to belt an unbeaten 58 from 47 balls. Mount Maunganui chanced their arm in search of an outright victory in declaring at 201 for the loss of six wickets.

The Mount Maunganui opening bowlers blunted the Papamoa reply. Fourth change, Gus Tustin, wrapped up the Pāpāmoa tail in taking three wickets for just 4 runs, while Tony Goodin and Craig Baldry each took a brace.

Pāpāmoa were all out for 86 in the 34th over, to give Mount Maunganui a shot at winning their ninth Bay of Plenty Cup in 17 seasons.

RESULTS

Bayleys Bay of Plenty Cup, December 9, 2023

Bond & Co Mount Maunganui 201/6 dec (Craig Baldry 58no, Matt Golding 47no, Michael Burns 3/36) defeated Pāpāmoa 86 (Keagan Bromilow 30, Gus Tustin 3-4)

Craigs Investment Partners Geyser City 238/8 dec (Alexander Roy 104, Gordon O’Donoghue 53, Roger Urbahn 3/50, AJ How 3/68) defeated Generation Homes Lake Taupō 68 (Ben Astwood 3/16, Ben Dyson 3/28)

Craigs Investment Partners Tauranga Boys’ College 190 (Sam Cross 85no, James Boyd 4/40, Loughie Keaney 3/61) lost to Eves Realty Greerton 194/4 (Tom MacRury 101; Jake Stott 3/47)

Element IMF Cadets 137 (Sam Clegg 46, Sam Clode 32, Ben Holt 3/33) defeated Sanford Wall Lawyers Central Indians 109 (Spencer Wills 4/28, Cameron Murray 4/25)

Te Puke the bye.

Bayleys Bay of Plenty Cup Standings (Final)

Te Puke 107, Mount Maunganui 93, Cadets 90, Geyser City 85, Greerton 72, Central Indians 48, Pāpāmoa 46, Lake Taupō 44, Tauranga Boys’ College 25.

ND Emerging Rangatahi (Under 19) Men’s Tournament @ Gisborne, 11-15 Dec

Final Points: Bay of Plenty Coastland 24, Hamilton 24, Waikato Valley 20, Northland 16, Counties Manukau 12, Bay of Plenty Lakeland 4, Poverty Bay 4, ND Māori 4.