Cricket: Geyser keep hopes alive

Geyser 1 player Matt Mitchell helped his team record their first win on Saturday at Smallbone Park in the after-Christmas Reserve Championship. Photo/Ben Fraser

Geyser City Cricket Club have recorded their first win in the after-Christmas Reserve Championship, keeping their hopes alive of winning the treble.

Geyser 1 defeated Taupo Wanderers at Smallbone Park on Saturday.

The proud club have won the pre-Christmas competition and the T20 competition this season and were looking good to win the treble, ahead of the Reserve Championship.

However, a run of bad results to start the competition has left them battling to make the semifinals.

Captain Matt Collier said the team dug deep on Saturday to register their first win and keep their hopes alive of making the semifinals.

Geyser posted a good score of about 260 runs in their 40 overs, Collier said. Wanderers then fought back strongly but fell about 20 runs short.

"Taupo Wanderers have been a good side for years and we knew they were not going to lie down. We had to dig deep and try hard to get that win," he said.

"We said from the outset we have three games left and for us we need the three wins."

He said the rough start to the competition has helped bring the team back down to earth and they were pleased to win the hard-fought encounter on Saturday.

The club's next assignment will be against undefeated Taupo Old Boys this Saturday in Taupo.

Old Boys are the only team to win all their games in the competition, after five rounds.

Old Boys bowled Geyser Fossils all out on Saturday for 152 runs before chasing the score down in less than 20 overs.

In the other game, Eastern Pirates' perfect run to the competition came to an end when they were beaten by the Bay of Plenty Indians.

Eastern Pirates reached an impressive 264/6 after 40 overs.

The Indians, led by Neeraj Kumar who scored 125 runs, managed to chase down the score in 35.4 overs.

There are two rounds left until the semifinals. Four of the seven teams will qualify.

Results:

Geyser 1 defeated Taupo Wanderers, Geyser Fossils 152 (M Rivers 3/39, A Batta 2/12) lost to Taupo Old Boys 153/3 (M Rivers 37, S McGreevy 30), Eastern Pirates 264/6 (Neroy Sumeran 2/37) lost to Bay of Plenty Indians 266/6 (Neeraj Kumar 125, Gurtej Billing 36, Rashpal Singh 19), Central bye.