Popli keeps re-writing record books

Bharat Popli continues to smash the Bay of Plenty record book blasting his third successive century and ninth in total over the weekend.

Popli hit 119 runs during their Northern Districts Fergus Hickey Rosebowl match against Northland at the Cobham Oval in Whangarei.

He has well and truly put his name in the Bay of Plenty Cricket all-time record book with his nine centuries five more than the previous record of four shared by Richard Shrimpton and Bay of Plenty legends Mike Wright and Mathew Hart.

Bay of Plenty won the toss and asked the home side to bat, in a match where overnight wet weather delayed starts on both days.

Northland got away to a flyer with a 102 run partnership, with Brad Kneebone going on to score 135 before being caught by Bay skipper Peter Drysdale.

Northland declared at 326/6, shortly after the dismissal of Kneebone, which set Bay of Plenty a big run chase in the afternoon and late evening of day two.

Sean Davey produced the best Bay bowling figures returning 2/28, with Tony Goodin and Andrew Gibbs also taking two wickets.

At two down with just 31 runs on the board the Bay of Plenty side were in early trouble.

The arrival of Joe Carter and Bharat Popli to the crease put Bay of Plenty back in the contest for first innings points. When Carter was bowled for 59, with the Bay at 137/3, Popli continued the momentum with Ben Musgrave.

After the dismissal of Musgrave for 62 runs, the Bay of Plenty representatives had reached a 260 for the loss of four wickets.

When Popli was eventually dismissed for 119, the match was evenly poised, however when the 7pm finish arrived Bay of Plenty were 317/9, and the game finished in a draw.

The Bay of Plenty draw with Northland, sees them remain at the top of the ND 2016 Hawke Cup Direct Challenge calendar year race, with the ND Hawke Cup Challenger decided at the ND One-Day tournament next week.

ND Fergus Hickey Rosebowl 28/29 November @ Cobham Oval Whangarei

Northland 326/6 declared (B Kneebone 135, B Hyde 56; Sean Davey 2/28, Tony Goodin 2/65, Andrew Gibbs 2/78)

Bay of Plenty 317/9 (Bharat Popli 119, Ben Musgrave 62, Joe Carter 58; K Watson 3/46, C Andrews 3/87)

Result: Match Drawn

Bharat Popli Centuries:

113 v Hamilton (08/09) 122* v Poverty Bay (08/09) 103* v Hamilton (09/10) 108* v Counties Manukau (10/11) 126* v Waikato Valley (12/1) 100 v Canterbury Country (12/13) 103* v Poverty Bay (14/15) 111 v Counties Manukau (15/16) 119 v Northland (15/16)