With Generation Homes Lake Taupō Cricket Club Premiers taking the bye this week, the long-awaited local derby between the Lake Taupō Cricket Club Reserves and defending champs Cossie Club College Old Boys A took centre stage at Owen Delany Park on Saturday.
Lake Taupō Cricket Club Reserves were asked to bat first and got off to a flyer with Sid Bicchu (46) in good form, sending a couple of big heaves over the ropes. At the halfway point, Lake Taupō were 71/1. Bicchu, ably supported by Moko Rivers (17), kept the pressure on the field as they looked to set a big total.
However, the fall of Bicchu and the rest of the top order in a slick spell of Old Boys bowling saw Lake Taupō in a spot of bother on 112/5 off 16 overs. The last five wickets (including a hat-trick to Sam Bunny) fell for just nine runs, as College Old Boys bowled Lake Taupō out for 121 and took the momentum into the second innings.
Lake Taupō took the upper hand early when captain Wayne Shaw bowled hard, hitting opener Simon Smith for six. Rivers and Shaw applied pressure in the middle overs with their spin, and with the Lake Taupō attack taking wickets regularly, Old Boys were struggling on 100/8. Requiring 22 runs off the last two overs with only two wickets in hand, the penultimate over bowled by Rivers only gave up six runs. Old Boys required 16 off the final over, however the final wicket taken by Ian Lawrence meant Old Boys fell 15 runs short, handing the Lake Taupō Reserves their first win over their cross-town rivals in over two years.