Rotorua batsman Pharat Popli, here in action for his club team Bay of Plenty Indians, was the backbone of the Rotorua innings in their Attrill Cup match. Photo / File
A six-wicket haul by veteran Murray Jarvis has helped Tauranga to retained the Attrill Cup.
The Cup, which has been contested by the Bay Cricket sub-associations teams since the early 1930s, is the oldest prize in Bay of Plenty Cricket.
Tauranga skipper Jono Boult won the toss and elected to
bowl. From the opening overs his bowlers took charge, with opener Myles Timoti's top score of 15 telling the tale of the lack of defiance by the Eastern Bay batsmen. Jarvis, who is in his 25th season of premier club cricket, had the Eastern Bay batsmen in trouble throughout his turn with the ball. The Greerton slow bowler finished the match with six wickets for 31 runs, as Eastern Bay were bundled out for 92.
After Tauranga opener Kent Hodder was dismissed with the score at 37/1, Cameron Neal marched to the wicket with a quick finish on his agenda. Neal smashed an unbeaten 43 off just 25 balls which included three sixes and four further boundaries. With the scores tied, Ben Musgrave was removed for 23, before the winning runs came a couple of balls later to give Tauranga an eight wicket victory and back-to-back Attrill Cup victories.
While the second Western Bay side of Mount Maunganui/Te Puke finished in second place, they had to withstand a spirited challenge from the Rotorua representatives. The combined team batted first and posted 169 all out. The Dhanjee brothers of Jayvant and Prashant were in good touch with the ball, dismissing half of the combined side's batsmen. A gritty display from Mount Maunganui's Ben Guild, who top scored with a neat half century, anchored the combined side's innings.
