Cricket: Downs blasts Central to title win

A swashbuckling innings from Central's Richie Downs saw the Rotorua club secure the reserve grade Twenty/20 competition grand final over Geyser on Saturday.

Batting first, Central posted 174/6 off their allotted overs, with the left-handed Downs smacking 10 boundaries and three sixes in his 95.

The Geyser bowling figures took a hammering as Downs scored freely around the ground, including putting one ball over the toilet block.

The Perham brothers, Shayde and Chanse, were the best of the Geyser bowlers, picking up a brace of wickets each.

Craig Downs chipped in with 26, leaving Geyser a daunting run rate of nine runs an over to maintain.

It was always going to be a tough ask and the Central bowlers led by Matt McLaughlin and Jono Collier made life hard for the Geyser batsmen, both bowling economically with Collier conceding just seven runs off his four overs. The experienced McLaughlin picked up three wickets in a fiery spell.

A cameo 26 from Matthew Collier plus a woeful eight dropped catches from Central wasn't enough, with Geyser reaching only 109/8 after 20 overs.

Central captain Rees Uerata said the boys were stoked to finally pick up a trophy after several years of falling at the last hurdle.

"We've lost a few finals recently so the boys were happy to win one," Uerata told The Daily Post.

"Ultimately we took our chances in this game where Geyser didn't and that's what swung the game."