Cricket: Swan to the fore in title win

Mount Maunganui won the Baywide Cup at the weekend. Pictured is the Rotorua-based Bay of Plenty Indians opening batsmen Himesh Gosai (left) and Charan Barriar competing in the competition. Photo/Ben Fraser

Mount Maunganui have defended their title as the Baywide Cup champions.

Element IMF Otumoetai Cadets were removed cheaply at Blake Park on Saturday before the Mount put them to the sword in the championship final.

Cadets batted first at Blake Park with the Mount bowlers putting plenty of pressure on the visitors.

The two Cadets openers were back in the hut with just 32 runs on the board.

Chris Page and Ben Christensen steadied the ship before Page was dismissed by the bowling of Dale Swan for 37.

When Christensen went for 22, Cadets were in trouble at 90/6.

When the last Cadets wickets fell with just 160 runs on the board the half way advantage was firmly in the Mount Maunganui camp.

Mount openers Peter Drysdale and Tim Clarke made their intentions clear from the opening ball as the pair carved up the Cadets bowling attack.

Clarke smashed the Cadets bowling to finish with an unbeaten 76.

Meanwhile, Drysdale was also in sublime touch, posting an undefeated 73 as Mount Maunganui waltzed home to win the 2013 Baywide Cup.

"Our seamers did a great job of containing the Cadets top order on a wicket that looked to be batsmen friendly," Drysdale said.

"We put consistent pressure on their batsmen, with Dale Swan the pick of our bowlers taking four wickets for just 15 runs with his off spinners."

The battle for third place at the Te Puke Domain went down to the wire, with Eves Realty Greerton defeating City Sports Bar Te Puke by seven runs.

No scores were submitted for the two matches in Rotorua.