Geyser City aiming for a hat-trick of wins

Geyser City first XI captain Matt Collier and his side are aiming for a hat-trick of wins in the Western Bay of Plenty reserve grade this weekend. PHOTO/ FILE

Rotorua's Geyser City first XI are aiming for a hat-trick of wins in the Western Bay of Plenty reserve grade.

It is set to be a close contest against Sikh Sports away on Saturday - with the opposition just nine points ahead of them in the competition.

However Geyser City come into the game on the back of two solid wins including last weekend's 67 run victory over Te Puke - which lifted them off the bottom for the first time this season.

Geyser City cricket club chairman Mike Holmes said he was confident the team would get a winning result and added the team spirit was at an "all time high".

"Don't they say that all good things come in threes? That's certainly what I'm hoping for this weekend," he said.

"Right now the team are riding a high and we have improved completely in our all round game.

"The setbacks certainly affected us at the beginning of the season but the boys have bounced strongly back. They have stood up and made themselves accountable.

"We need to show this positive mentality in our game. Sikh's have an all-round strong game so on the day whoever handles the pressure better will get the win."

Meanwhile at the top of the table a win for Lake Taupo Cricket Club would see them wrap up the pre-Christmas trophy with one round remaining before the break. They take on sixth placed R&A Sangha at the Kaimanawa Reserve tomorrow.

Elsewhere a top four battle will take place in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, when Whakatane in third United host second placed Greerton at the Taneatua Rugby Club ground.

And ninth placed Aquinas College meet Katikati - in seventh at Fergusson Park whilst joint-placed tenth side Cadets square off against Mount Maunganui in fifth at Cadets headquarters at the Tauranga Domain. Finally fourth placed Tauranga Boys College are heavily favoured to defeat bottom placed Te Puke.

While Geyser City are out of the running for the pre-Christmas trophy, the local side could still make the top six before the league splits in two in January.

"We want to have a positive end to this first half," said Holmes.

"If we keep up an all round good performance there is no reason why we can't make it. We do have a very difficult last game against first placed Lake Taupo but on our day we can beat anyone and we need to have that belief."

Fixtures:

WBOPCA Western Bay of Plenty reserve grade:
Tomorrow, 12pm start.

Sikh Sports v Geyser City, Fergusson Park 3, Tauranga.

Lake Taupo CC v R&A Sangha, Kaimanawa Reserve, Taupo.

Whakatane United v Greerton, Taneatua Reserve, Whakatane.

Cadets v Mount Maunganui, Tauranga Domain, Tauranga.

Tauranga Boys College v Te Puke, Fergusson Park 1, Tauranga.

Aquinas College v Katikati, Fergusson Park 1,

Points table: Lake Taupo CC 180, Greerton 140, Whakatane United 124, Tauranga Boys College 115, Mount Maunganui 108, R&A Sangha 101, Katikati 97, Sikh Sports 90, Aquinas College 90, Cadets 81, Geyser City first XI 81, Te Puke 70.