Current Baywide title holders R&A Sangha comfortably accounted for Rotorua visitors Geyser City after the Western Bay team posted 223 all out. GS Sandhu top scored with a handy half century while Geyser City bowler Matt Collier picked up the first five-wicket bag of the season. GS Mahal and LS Batti grabbed three wickets apiece as their opponents were restricted to 99/9 to give the Sangha XI a solid win.
Whakatane United bowled Cadets out for just 112 and then strolled to an eight-wicket win. The wet weather leading into the weekend put paid to Aquinas College verses Tauranga Boys' second XI and the Katikati match-up against Te Puke, with both games abandoned.
Tauranga Boys' College third XI made a successful debut in the B-Grade competition when they easily accounted for Albion. Former Bay of Plenty representative player Grant Manners, who is mentoring the Tauranga Boys' youngsters, led his team to 253/5 with 104 runs, before the Tauranga students bowled Albion out for just 60 to claim a big win.
Defending B-Grade champions Singh XI made a solid start to grabbing the first round silverware with a big win against Wanderers. Batting first, the Te Puke region team were bowled out for 161, with Kuljit Singh top scoring with a hard fought 44 runs.
The Singh XI strangled Wanderers' attempts to hit out and dismissed the Tauranga side for 103 to post a 58-run victory. Hardeep Singh and Gurjant Singh did the damage with the ball with both bowlers taking three wickets apiece. Hardeep Singh's bowling spell was especially noteworthy with his three wickets coming at a cost of just 12 runs.
The encounter between Mount Maunganui and Grasshoppers was a short and sharp affair. Led by an Andy Balfour's four-wicket bag, the Mounties were removed for just 41. However Hoppers were made to work for the victory, losing five wickets on the way.
Results:
Reserve Grade: Greerton 225 (Sam Brown 93, Richie Earl 33, Sam Norris 3/39) defeated Mount Maunganui 224/9 (Blair McKenzie 112, Logan Carr 34no)
Cadets 112 (Kersley Corder 37, Alex Yates 4/33, Pip Thickpenny 4/33) lost to Whakatane United 114/2 Rhys Kersley 77no, Alex Yates 33no)
Sikh XI 117 (Roger Urbahan 4/19) lost to Taupo 119/2 (Roger Urbahan 48no)
R&A Sangha XI 223 (GS Sandhu 51, Naseeb Kumar 44, Kapil Sharma 31, Matt Collier 5/53) defeated Geyser City 99/9 (GS Mahal 3/21, LS Bhatti 3/36)
Aquinas v Tauranga Boys' College, Katikati v Te Puke - abandoned
Points Table (Provisional): Taupo 20, Greerton 20, Whakatane United 20, Sangha CC 20, Mount Maunganui 10, Aquinas College 10, Tauranga Boys' College 10, Katikati 10, Geyser
B Grade: Mount Maunganui 41 (Andy Balfour 4/4, Wayne Anderson 3/7) lost Grasshoppers 42/5 Tauranga Boys' College 3rd XI 253/5 (Grant Manners 104, Scott Ellerington 48, Wiremu Leef 37, Matthew Summerville 3/41) defeated Albion 60 (Rhys Donaghy 3/14, Simon Smith 3/14).
Singh XI 161 (Kuljit Singh 44no, JS Dhillon 32, Ivan Foord 3/37, Regan Collins 3/25) defeated Wanderers 103 (Hardeep Singh 3/12, Gurjant Singh 3/35).
Points Table (Provisional): Grasshoppers 6, Tauranga Boys' College 6, Singh XI 6, Mount Maunganui 0, Albion 0, Wanderers 0.
