Cricket: Honours even as old rivals meet

FILE

The Bay of Plenty representative cricket team will need to regroup this weekend after the disappointment of having the Hawke Cup taken from their grasp by Manawatu.

This weekend's two-day Fergus Hickey Rosebowl match, starting today, will be against archrivals Hamilton at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.

The match won't lack in intensity with the two sides having met twice in the current season with the ledger even at a win apiece.

The first occasion the two sides met was at the annual ND One-Day tournament in Taupo where Hamilton gave the Bay a cricket lesson.

After the Waikato region side posted 235/3, with Northern Knight batsmen Daryl Mitchell blasting 118, the Bay of Plenty representatives were bundled out for 112.

Hamilton entered the Hawke Cup direct challenge against Bay of Plenty with plenty of confidence and, after they won the toss, elected to make the Bay bat first.

Bay master blaster Brett Hampton anchored his side with a hard fought 103 runs as Bay of Plenty were bowled out for 299.

The Hamilton reply came up 57 runs short, with one of the Bay's rising stars in Tommy Clout grabbing four wickets for 45 runs.

There are two changes in the Bay of Plenty line-up with bowlers Dan Hill and Dale Swan coming back into the side.

Hill is also a more than useful lower batsman, while Swan's spin can mesmerise.

Bay of Plenty team
Peter Drysdale (captain), Tom MacRury, Tim Clarke, Mitch McCann, Brett Hampton, Cameron Neal, Ben Musgrave, Dan Hill, Tony Goodin, Dale Swan, Tommy Clout, Campbell Thomas.