Teen girls represent in cricketing champs

STEPPING UP: ND Senior Secondary Schoolgirls tournament begins on Wednesday at Fergusson Park. Photo: File

Bay of Plenty will attempt to win the Louise Milliken Cup for the third time in four years.

The cup is for the winner of the ND senior secondary schoolgirls' cricket championship that begins at Fergusson Park tomorrow.

Three days of action-packed cricket will be played out over three days at the picturesque Tauranga suburban park.

The first two days will consist of four rounds of T20 action, before the title contenders wrap up the competition with 30 over encounters.

Bay of Plenty swept all other teams in the ND competition last year to complete their campaign with an undefeated record.

Poverty Bay finished second, ahead of Hamilton, Waikato Valley and Northland.

The most exciting game of the tournament was fought out on day two between hosts Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay.

BOP won the toss and elected to bat first. An unbeaten stand of 33 runs from Holly Topp, led the way for the hosts to reach 80/7, in their allotted overs.

Poverty Bay went out to bat with plenty of self belief and were in touch with the required run rate all the way.

At 74/6, with six balls remaining, the encounter was up for grabs.

However, outstanding fielding from Bay of Plenty, which saw three run-outs without a run being scored, resulted in Poverty Bay being restricted 77/9, giving Bay of Plenty a paper-thin three-run victory.

Hamilton won a high scoring encounter against Waikato Valley, in their 30 over contest on day three, in a battle for third place.

Hamilton posted a big target when they reached 165/5, with Hannah Bree finishing with an unbeaten 57.

Waikato Valley's Emma Parker made a valiant attempt for victory with an undefeated 64 runs, but Hamilton bowled their opponents out for 130, to take out third place in the tournament.

ND Senior Secondary Schoolgirls Cricket Tournament, draw

Day One (Wednesday)
T20 Round One: Hamilton v Bay of Plenty; Poverty Bay v Waikato Valley, Northland bye
T20 Round Two: Waikato Valley v Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay v Northland, Hamilton bye

Day Two (Thursday)
T20 Round Three: Waikato Valley v Northland, Hamilton v Poverty Bay, Bay of Plenty bye
T20 Round Four: Bay of Plenty v Poverty Bay, Northland v Hamilton, Waikato Valley bye

Day Three (Friday)
Thirty over matches: Hamilton v Waikato Valley, Bay of Plenty v Northland, Poverty Bay bye