Bay of Plenty Super Colts cricket under way

The junior college and intermediate Super Colts cricket competition got under way on Sunday with three Western Bay of Plenty club teams and a Rotorua representative side going into battle in the two divisions.

Super Colts players are drafted into club-sponsored sides based on location and school links.

To add to the competitive nature of the new competition, a Bay of Plenty Lakeland
representative side - drawn from Eastern Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Taupō - plays in each of the three divisions.

Mount Maunganui and Greerton showed early form with a victory each, albeit Greerton's win over Cadets coming by way of the Duckworth Lewis method to decide
rain affected games.

Mount Maunganui batted first against BOP Lakeland and reached a solid 201/8 in their time at the crease. Batting at No 3, Ben Vyver top scored with 48 runs which included six boundaries, while Lakeland bowler Brooke Mitchell took four wickets for 17 runs.

The Mount bowlers grabbed the early ascendancy and at 45/3, the visitors were in some trouble.

Lakeland were bowled out for 122 to hand the Western Bay club side a 79-run win.

The combined side's lack of substantial scores from the top and middle order, was proven with No 10 batsman Joshua Richardson top scoring with 16 runs.

Led by 75 from Isaac White, who came in when Greerton were in real trouble at 28/4, the
Greerton batting line-up went on to reach 185 all out against Cadets. Dandre du Plessis took a four-wicket bag.

The Cadets' reply was stymied by a rain shower and they were set a revised total of 171 from 41 overs when play resumed.

Greerton's line and length bowling restricted Cadets to 137 for the loss of seven wickets, to give the Pemberton Park-based club the majority of the win points on offer. Spencer Wills top scored with 45 runs for Cadets.

BOP Lakeland made a sensational start to their Intermediate encounter against Cadets, with their bowlers dismissing the top three Cadets batters for ducks.

At 18/4 it was left to Josh Espitalier (37) and Lucas Grant (19) to give their side respectability before they were bowled out for 87.

Tom Yetsenga was the best of the Lakeland bowlers grabbing three wickets at a cost of just five runs.

However, the Cadets bowling attack put their side right back in the hunt for victory, taking six wickets before the visitors secured the win points on offer.

New Western Bay club recruits Papamoa won an absolute thriller with near neighbours Mount Maunganui, bowling their opponents out three runs short of victory.

Papamoa's top order of Luke Espitalier (50) and Seb Heath (46) put their side in the box seat as there team were dismissed for 163.

However, Mount Maunganui, courtesy of an unbeaten 39 from Harry Burns, fell just short with 161 runs on the board.

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Results

Junior College Year 9/10

Mount Maunganui 201/8 (Ben Vyver 48, Jordy Smith 24no, Brooke Mitchell 4-17) beat BOP Lakeland 122 (Cypress Purden-Winter 2-7)
Greerton 185 (Isaac White 75, Finn O'Brien-O'Loan 24, Joe Smythe 20, Dandre du Plessis 4-24) beat Cadets 133/7 (Spencer Wills 45, Harsh Patel 3-23, Joe Smythe 2-8) on Duckworth Lewis system

Points:
Mount Maunganui 12, Greerton 11, Cadets 4, BOP Lakeland 2.

Intermediate Year 7/8 (9-a-side)
Cadets 87 (Josh Espitalier 37, Tom Yetsenga 3-5) lost to BOP Lakeland 88/6 (Tom Martin 35)
Papamoa 163 (Luke Espitalier 50, Seb Heath 46, Luca Adsett 2-22) beat Mount Maunganui 161 (Harry Burns 39no, Loughlin Keaney 27, Charlie Williams 2-8)
Greerton the bye

Points
BOP Lakeland 12, Papamoa 12, Mount Maunganui 5, Cadets 2.