Patience key for Central Indians success

BOWLING ATTACK: Central Indians' Declan Keaney will be part of the lead bowling line-up for his side on the weekend. PHOTO/ STEPHEN PARKER.

It's been a testing start to the BOPCA Baywide premier competition for Rotorua's Bayleys Central Indians - losing three of their four matches.

However, Central Indians co-captain Shonit Chandra said his team remained "full of confidence" ahead of the must-win away game against Eves Realty Greerton at Pemberton Park, Tauranga, tomorrow.

Chandra expects a fiercely contested match with his bottom-of-the-table side looking to make amends for last Saturday's heavy defeat to table-toppers Carrus Mount Maunganui, despite an excellent early bowling performance.

The spin bowler said patience at the crease and a "tightening up in the field" would be crucial for a positive result.

"This is a very important game," he said. "We must take time at the crease. There has to be patience - it will be about building up those single and double runs and building confidence.

"Also we have to be tight in the field. We have to stop them making headway with the little runs because it all builds up."

However, joint third-placed Greerton will be tricky opponents - coming into the game on the back of a winning draw against Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys' College last weekend.

Greerton batsman Cam Neal and skipper Shane Wineti both put Fraser Stunder attack the last time they played at home, whilst Jared Tutty has proved to be a bowling force in his first year with the club.

Central Indians will be without opening batsman Magan Vashisht because of injury but Chandra insisted his side had the "quality and calibre" to win - highlighting the bowling force of openers co-captain Andrew Gibbs and Declan Keaney.

"Everyone is still very confident and the squad needs to remember we have come up against very tough opposition so far and competed well," he said.

"I'm actually not worried about Greerton - they have lost a couple of games and aren't completely solid.

"Our bowlers were on fire last weekend to start with and I want to see that again. We are on a learning curve but are certainly heading in the right direction. We just need to put a complete performance together."

Meanwhile the top-of-the-table clash at the Tauranga Domain between second-placed Cadets and Mount Maunganui will be a close contest with both sides losing three players apiece to the Fergus Hickey encounter, making the final result hard to pick.

And joint third-placed Tauranga Boys' College travel to Te Puke Domain to play reigning Williams Cup champions New World Te Puke - with the home side, in fifth place, desperate for victory to move them up the table.

BOPCA Baywide premier competition fixtures

Baywide Cup,
Saturday, 12pm start:

Eves Realty Greerton v Central Indians, Pemberton Park, Tauranga.

New World Te Puke v Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys' College, Te Puke Domain, Te Puke.

Element IMF Cadets v Carrus Mount Maunganui, Tauranga Domain, Tauranga.

Points Table: Carrus Mount Maunganui 88, Element IMF Cadets 80, Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys' College 48, Eves Realty Greerton 48, New World Te Puke 28, Bayleys Central Indians 14.