Cricket: Rain ends Geyser City's hopes of top-tier action

Geyser City will be playing in the plate competition in the Western Bay of Plenty reserve grade competition. PHOTO/FILE

Confounding all predictions, one game of WBOPCA Reserve Grade cricket was completed yesterday .

But that didn't help Geyser City's attempts to qualify for the WBOPCA Championship competition, the lack of play in Rotorua meaning they were unable to play for the win that may have given them the chance of securing a spot in the upper tier of the post-pool play competition.

The only game to take place saw Te Puke travel to the Eastern Bay of Plenty to provide Whakatane United with their first defeat of the WBOPCA Reserve Championship qualifying competition.

The visitors took first use of the batting crease and were bowled out for 203. Big-hitting Te Puke batsmen Lance Staiger led the way, top scoring with 75 runs. Whakatane United were removed for 182, to hand Te Puke a 21-run victory.

Lance Staiger backed up his batting performance to take four wickets, with Te Puke Reserve stalwart Justin Scott returning figures of three wickets for 31 runs. The Whakatane United defeat, means Lake Taupo CC finish the championship qualifying competition as the only unbeaten side.

With all the other reserve encounters abandoned, the 10 other contenders received 10 points apiece. Lake Taupo, Whakatane United, Tauranga Boys' College, Te Puke, Sikh Sports and Greerton will now advance to fight out the 2017 Western Bay of Plenty Reserve Grade Championship.

The six other teams still have plenty to play for with the WBOPCA Reserve Plate on the line.

Results
Pool One: All games abandoned
Points Table: Lake Taupo CC 90, Tauranga Boys' College 76, Sikh Sports 65, Geyser City 56, Katikati 45, R&A Sangha 37.
Pool Two
Te Puke 203 (Lance Staiger 75) beat Whakatane United 182 (Lance Staiger 4/40, Justin Scott 3/31)
Greerton v Cadets, Aquinas College v Mount Maunganui abandoned.
Points Table: Whakatane United 89, Te Puke 87, Greerton 62, Cadets 58, Aquinas College 41, Mount Maunganui 40.
B Grade: All games abandoned
WBOPCA Reserve Grade Draw February 25
WBOPCA Championship: Lake Taupo CC V Te Puke, Whakatane United v Tauranga Boys College, Greerton v Sikh Sports.
WBOPCA Plate: Geyser City v Cadets, Katikati v Aquinas College, R&A Sangha v Mount Maunganui.
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■ The Fergus Hickey Rosebowl clash between Bay of Plenty and Waikato Valley was abandoned without a ball being bowled and there was no play in any of Saturday's scheduled BOPCA Williams Cup competition.