Cricket: Gripping action assured in T20

After two years of Baywide T20 competition, the name of Tauranga Boys' College sits alone on the Lonestar T20 trophy.

The first two rounds of the T20 competition will be played at Fergusson Park in Tauranga tomorrow.

The competition was introduced two years ago, with the quick-fire contests played whenever the Bay of Plenty representative team are in action in two-day Fergus Hickey Rosebowl matches.

There have been few more dramatic days in Baywide cricket than the T20 finals.

Last season, in spite of being defeated by bottom of the table East Bay United in the last round of the qualifying rounds, Tauranga Boys' retained second place in the title race when fellow contenders Mount Maunganui and Eves Realty Greerton were eliminated from contention in the final round.

The Tauranga students squared off against Element IMF Cadets, who finished at the top of the qualifying series.

At the halfway stage of the title decider Cadets appeared to have one hand on the trophy, after Tauranga Boys' were dismissed for what looked to be a modest 93 runs.

But few of the Tauranga Boys' supporters could have imagined the damage that a foursome of spin bowlers would inflict on the Cadets batting line-up as they were removed for just 58 to give Tauranga Boys College back-to-back T20 titles.

Revenge is certain to be on the agenda for Cadets when they meet the schoolboys in a replay of the March title decider on Saturday.

City Sports Bar Te Puke meet East Bay United, Eves Realty Greerton will be chasing a good start to the competition when they meet BOP Indians, with Mount Maunganui and Central squaring off on the artificial surface.

In round two, a Baywide inter-city derby will take centre stage when Cadets and Central meet on Fergusson four.

Bay of Plenty cricket draw, November 23:

Lonestar Baywide Premier T20

Round One: Element IMF Cadets v Tauranga Boys' College, Fergusson1; City Sports Bar Te Puke v East Bay United, Fergusson 2; Eves Realty Greerton v BOP Indians, Fergusson3; Mount Maunganui v Central, Fergusson4.

Round Two: Central v Element IMF Cadets, Fergusson4; BOP Indians v City Sports Bar Te Puke, Fergusson1; East Bay United v Eves Realty Greerton, Fergusson2; Tauranga Boys' College v Mount Maunganui, Fergusson3.