The Te Puke Cricket Club returned to where it all began for its 125th anniversary celebrations on Saturday night following a day of festivities and fierce rivalries at Te Puke Domain.
A sit-down dinner, and question and answer session, featuring current and former Black Caps at Molly O'Connor's proved afitting celebration for a club formed in the same location in late-1887.
Speaking before the past versus present match, featuring former internationals Robbie and Matthew Hart, as well as Te Puke stalwarts like Tauranga Boys' College teacher Neil Howard, Premier side manager Paul Dwight was putting his money firmly on the current generation of Te Puke players.
"It's huge for the club and a chance to get a number of Black Caps back to the club, including Kane Williamson and Lance Cairns, and having the two Hart boys back for the past versus present game is a lot of fun," said Dwight.
"Some of these older guys were pretty sharp two years ago, but began to slow up last year and I think they'll be slower this year."
Dwight's words proved prophetic, with the present selection accounting for a past side not helped by captain Howard's admission that he intended on hiding himself in the slips and near the bottom of the batting order.
Dean Butterworth (32) got his side off to a good start in pursuit of the present team's score of 148 built around early contributions from a fortunate Mitch McCann (27), powerful Stephen Crossan (34) and Tai Bridgeman-Raison (40), but key wickets at crucial times - including Matthew Hart's dismissal from the bowling of present day mentor Charles Williams for 29 - meant they came up 29 runs short in the Twenty20 contest.
Te Puke captain Bridgeman-Raison, who presided over a side that reached the top four in both the Baywide premier competition and Williams Cup this season, said the future of the club appears as bright as in its hallowed past.
"The junior cricket is going really well and it's developing a number of representative players which it hasn't done for a while," said Bridgeman-Raison. "It's great to know that as time goes by we will have local kids coming through and playing for the senior side, which is ideal."
