Cricket: Aquinas claim inaugural T10 title

Tauranga Boys' College batsman Andrew Mascall (facing) takes a run during the game against Western Heights High School. Photo / Andrew Warner

Aquinas College won the inaugural Bay of Plenty Secondary School T10 Shootout played at the Bay Oval and adjoining Blake Park wickets on Sunday.

Playing under the name of Deans 11, the Aquinas College side met fellow Western Bay School Otumoetai College in the title decider after three rounds of pool play and semifinals.

The T10 Shootout saw four Western Bay teams joined by three Rotorua secondary school sides, in 10-overs per team quick-fire cricket action.

Otumoetai College, who batted first in thedecider, paid the price for attempting to smash the ball to the boundary and were dismissed for just 24 runs in the seventh over.

Jared Schneebeli grabbed three wickets for just three runs for Aquinas, with Andrew Norman and William Dougherty taking two wickets each. The final four Otumoetai batsmen were removed without adding a run to their total.

Aquinas took a measured approach to the run chase and got home for the first Bay of Plenty Secondary School T10 Shootout title for the loss of a solitary wicket after one ball of their fourth over.

"The day was an outstanding success, with positive feedback from all the schools that took part," said Bay of Plenty Cricket manager Tai Bridgman-Raison.

"We are already looking to expand the number of teams next year and hope to have teams from all four Bay of Plenty Cricket regions.

"It was great to have three Rotorua sides, with all three enjoying the opportunity to play on the two Bay Oval grounds."

The semifinals saw the two sides who won their respective round-robin pools taste defeat. Aquinas College eliminated John Paul College (JPC) Vipers while Otumoetai College got past the Bethlehem College (BC) Strikers.

Jared Schneebeli won the player of the final award with Rueben Fitzgerald the top scorer on the day with 109 runs.