Busy summer ahead for BOP cricket side

The Bay Oval will host some rep fixtures this year. PHOTO/FILE

The re-signing of all of last season's Bay of Plenty senior men's representative management team will provide a big boost as the side face another season of big challenges.

The Bay of Plenty team cemented their place last season as the leading minor association side in the country, after they won the Hawke Cup, the Northern Districts Fergus Hickey Rosebowl and the Brian Dunning Trophy.

Coach Graeme Aldridge will again be assisted by Charles Williams, as well as having the experience of Wayne Brill as team manager, long time team physio Roger Athy-Knibbs and scorer Bill Anderson to call upon, in a busy minor association season.

Cricket manager BOP Cricket Tai Bridgman-Raison said: "We are fortunate to have an outstanding coaching and management group, the quality of people you would normally associated with a professional sports team. Without a doubt they have been critical to the success of the senior men in recent times."

The defence of the Hawke Cup, which dates back to the 1920s, will be high on the team's agenda. Bay of Plenty will face off against the ND challenger in their first Hawke Cup defence of the season on January 28/30 with the 2017 ND Hawke Cup challenge race recommencing in November 2016 - Counties Manukau and Hamilton have a big break on the other contenders.

There have been significant changes made to the ND cricket championships for the new season. For the first time for a number of years, Bay of Plenty will square off against all five other ND minor associations in Fergus Hickey two-day matches.

The Bay representatives will play Counties Manukau and Northland at the Bay Oval Mount Maunganui and will face Poverty Bay, Waikato Valley and archrivals Hamilton on the road.

The Brian Dunning Trophy competition will become a mixture of T20 and one-day cricket and will be played out at Owen Delaney Park in Taupo on December 4-6. On the opening day Bay of Plenty will meet Poverty Bay and Northland in T20 action, before squaring off with Hamilton in a 50-over per side contest on day two.

Bay of Plenty Fergus Hickey Schedule 2016/17
Fergus Hickey Two-Day Matches
Round One - 12/13 November 2016 v Poverty Bay @ Gisborne
Round Two - 26/27 November 2016 v Northland @ Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
Round Three - 4/5 February 2017 v Hamilton @ Galloway Park, Hamilton
Round Four - 18/19 February 2017 v Waikato Valley @ Cambridge Square
Round Five - 4/5 March 2017 v Counties Manukau @ Bay Oval

Brian Dunning Limited Over Tournament @ Owen Delaney Park, Taupo (4/6 December 2016)
Day One T20 v Poverty Bay, T20 v Northland
Day Two One-Day v Hamilton
Day Three - Finals Day

NZ Cricket Hawke Cup 28/30 January 2017
Bay of Plenty (holder) v Northern Districts challenger