Semifinal time for Rotorua cricket teams in Senior Reserve Grade

Bay of Plenty Indians player Jaspreet Singh plays a shot. Photo / File

After a rain-disrupted start to the season, the round robin has played out and four teams are left standing in the Rotorua/Taupo Senior Reserve Grade.

In the semifinals tomorrowtable toppers Lake Taupo host Central at Owen Delany Park and Bay of Plenty Indians take on Geyser City John Paul College Old Boys at Smallbone Park.

Indians, who are the defending champions, have suffered just one loss this season and it was handed to them by Geyser JPC, their opposition this weekend.

Indians captain Shohit Chandra said his side was eager to avenge the loss.

"We were missing a few of our main players and it was a marginal loss, we definitely believe we can win this time. We've got a full squad, we've had a couple of really good trainings and we're looking forward to it.

"JPC were really disciplined, I really appreciated their discipline. They didn't drop any catches and they fielded well, their teamwork was very good. It seems like two quality teams will be playing each other.

"After winning last year, we were hoping for the same this year. We have almost the same team with few changes and the boys are in good form," Chandra said.

The Geyser JPC and Western Heights High School teams were formed this year and JPC captain Manny Kumar said it was great to have one of them in the semifinals.

"I'm pretty pleased with the season so far, it's been a bit frustrating weather-wise but whenever we get a chance to play it's been pretty good.

"Every win is a confidence builder. Last time we played these guys we played as a team and our bowling and fielding was spot on from ball one, that was the key to our success that day. Our goal every week is to be consistent, if we can do that the results will come," Kumar said.

The other semifinalists, Central and Lake Taupo, played last week in the last round robin game and Lake Taupo were on top when the game was abandoned due to rain.

Lake Taupo captain Hedley Darlington said his players took confidence from how that game went, however he knew not to take Central lightly.

"We've got home advantage but I think they'll be a bit better this weekend, we're expecting them to be a lot stronger.

"I think we just need to keep doing what we've been doing, but we probably need to tighten up the bowling a bit. We've been bowling a few wides in the last few games and given away a few extra runs.

"I think this season we're building on the success we had last season. We lost to Indians in the final and we want to go one better this season. It helps too that our top team has made the premier grade, it's lifted the standards throughout the whole club," Darlington said.

When asked to describe the season so far, Central captain Paul Wyllie said "wet".

"It's been a bit rough because we haven't had a lot of cricket. We're supposed to have played seven games but we've had two defaults, two complete washouts and an abandoned game.

"We finished fourth, we just scraped in, but the team is possibly the strongest Central team we've ever put down. All of our regulars are available for the first time in a long time, so we feel like we've got the team to go down there and win."