Cricket: Te Puke fall to Baaj Sports in final

Two out of four Western Bay Cricket finals were decided at the weekend.

Western Bay Cricket

Baaj Sports have continued their outstanding run of form this season, taking out the Classic Builders Division 1 title against Te Puke in a game delayed by 24 hours and played on Sunday.

Baaj Sports elected to bat after winning the toss and when danger man Yogesh Yogi was removed for one, they were in a spot of bother. However, opener Gurinder Singh dug in and anchored his side’s innings with 93 off 101 balls, which included seven fours and six sixes.

Vikas Tiwari, batting at seven, kept the run rate ticking over until he was removed for 32.

They were bowled out for 231 in the 45th over and Te Puke’s Sachith M and Brydon Rhodes kept the Baaj batters honest with three wickets apiece.

Cameron Templer (45) put on a 53-run partnership with Benjamin Hunter-Blair, which kept the Te Puke side in touch with the required run rate.

Johnny Coulter top-scored with an unbeaten 51 before his team were restricted to 202 for the loss of seven wickets.

The Division 1 Championship title completes an outstanding season for the Baaj Sports & Cultural Club first XI. In addition to the championship title, they won the Division 1 first round and finished the season with the Don Warner Challenge Trophy in their possession.

The icing on the cake was the Baaj Sports victory in the Bay of Plenty Cricket McNaughton Trophy, which is considered the Baywide Reserve Grade championship.

While poor weather caused th postponement of the Division 3 and 4 finals, the Division 2 match-up between top qualifier Sher E Punjab Te Puke and Greerton, who came from fourth spot in the qualifying competition, took place on the Bay Oval.

Greerton were sent in to bat on a wicket that looked to have plenty of runs available to the top order. Steve Jennings and Luke Spargo got the black-and-gold brigade away to a flyer, putting on 96 runs for the first wicket before Jennings was removed for 40.

Spargo, continued his assault on Te Puke, posting 78 runs before being dismissed. Louis Morris and Israel Turner finished on identical totals of 39 runs, with Greerton posting 261 runs at a cost of seven wickets. Barnjit Singh was the best of the Te Puke team bowlers, taking three wickets for 34 runs.

Sher E Punjab Te Puke were in early trouble, losing their first wicket with just five on the board. Bivek Singh posted a half-century and then Karandeep Singh belted 93 from just 63 balls.

When Karandeep Singh lost his wicket, the encounter was evenly poised at 212/6. The Greerton bowlers then dug deep to take the last four wickets for 18 runs, Greerton claiming the silverware with a 39-run win. Khushwaran Joshi played a huge part in the last four wickets with an LBW, clean bowled the number eight for a duck and played a part in a run-out.

Results

Classic Builders Division One

Baaj Sports 231 (Gurinder Singh 93, Vikas Tiwari 32; Sachith M 3/22, Brydon Rhodes 3/31) defeated Te Puke 202/7 (Johnny Coulter 51no, Cameron Templar 45)

Classic Builders Division Two

Greerton 261/8 (Luke Spargo 78, Steve Jennings 40, Louis Morris 39, Israel Turner 39; Barnjit Singh 3/34) defeated Sher E Punjab Te Puke (Karandeep Singh 93, Bivek Singh 52; Khushwaran Joshi 3/42).