BOP start one-day season with friendly

NEW CAP: BOP Development player Yohann Irani (right), with Ben Musgrave, will make his representative debut on Sunday. PHOTO/FILE

BAY of Plenty warm up ahead of the Northern District one-day tournament with a 50-over friendly against Hawkes Bay at Taupo on Sunday.

The Hawkes Bay encounter will be BOP's first one-day game of the season as they continue their quest for the Northern Districts Hawke Cup direct challenge.

The senior men's team travel back to Taupo on December 7-9 for the regional tournament following mixed early season results against Northland and Counties Manukau.

A loss to Northland was followed by a first innings win against Counties Manukau in emphatic style last weekend.

There are just two changes in the team that outplayed Counties Manukau.

Hard-hitting batsman Cam Neal comes into the side for the first time this season and Central medium pace bowler Andrew Gibbs returns. Bay of Plenty Development face ND under-19 in a non-championship encounter at Bay Oval on Sunday with selectors continuing their policy of promoting promising youngsters into the ranks of the second XI.

Four players who were playing Bay of Plenty age group cricket last season, will make their senior representative debuts with the development side at Bay Oval.

Central leg spinner, Taupo's Shannon McSkimming, will join Bay Development along with Alastair Blackett who plays for the Rotorua premier club side while still attending secondary school.

Another promising youngster to make his Development debut while still at secondary school is Otumoetai College student Christian MacDonald.

The fourth Bay Development new recruit is BOP Indians batsman Yohann Irani who was member of the BOP Coastland team that won back-to-back ND senior secondary titles last season.