Cricket: Eastern BOP beat Rotorua team to take T20 title

The Eastern Bay of Plenty Firebirds took out the Lakelands T20 Championship on Saturday. Photo / Supplied

History was created for the Eastern Bay of Plenty Cricket Club over the weekend.

The EBOP Firebirds took out the Lakelands T20 Championship, the first senior title for the Whakatane-based club in its fourth year since its establishment.

The team comfortably beat defending champions Bay of Plenty Indians Cricket Club at Rotorua’s Boord Park, chasing down the target with five wickets in hand on the back of a half-century by former Bay of Plenty representative Alex Yates with help from Pavi Nanayakkara and Trident High School’s Jake Finlay who took three wickets each.

The BOP Indians were bowled out for 93 in the 18th over, the Firebirds chasing the score down with two overs to spare.

The club’s other senior team the Hurricanes, comprised of mostly Ōpotiki residents, lost their play-off for third place.

The team led by Ricky Barring could not chase down 147 set by Central Cricket Club, the Hurricanes bowled out for 78 in the 15th over.

Central’s Mitchell Kane blasted the bowling making 96 off 58 balls including four sixes, while Central bowlers Paul Wylie and Mark Rogers snared three wickets each.

Meanwhile, EBOP CC’s inaugural junior rep team took on their Western Bay of Plenty counterparts at Rex Morpeth Park on Sunday. Unfortunately, the weather meant the game was abandoned after the first innings, however, the significance of the event was not lost on the club.

The Year 6 representative team consisted of players picked from across the club’s four junior teams and was the first time the club had had the depth to field a representative team in its junior ranks since its establishment.

Lakelands T20 final:

BOP Indians 93 (J.Maan 25, P Nanayakkara 3-8, J Finlay 3-25) lost to EBOP Firebirds 97-5 (A Yates 57no, N.Kumar 2-10)

Lakelands T20 playoff for third place:

Central Reserves 146/6 (M.Kane 96, P. Marimuthu 2-17) defeated EBOP Hurriances 78 (M.Rogers 3-8, Paul Wylie 3-20)

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