Te Puke beat Central Indians in T20 season opener

Josh Earle scored 37 for Te Puke in the T20 win over Rotorua Central.

Te Puke secured the biggest win of the day in a rain-affected opening of this summer’s Baywide cricket competition.

Two rounds of the BOPCA Venture Developments Baywide T20 were scheduled for Saturday, but only the earlier games were completed with wins going to Te Puke, Greerton, Lake Taupō and Mount Maunganui in the nine-team competition.

Te Puke beat Central Indians by 78 runs at Gordon Spratt Reserve. Te Puke won the toss and posted 171 runs for seven wickets. The Te Puke bowlers strangled the Rotorua side’s reply in removing them for just 93.

Pāpāmoa had the bye in the first round and was due to play Geyser City in round 2, but the game was beaten by the weather. Te Puke was due to sit out the second round with the bye.

Elsewhere, the first century of the new season counted for nothing, when Element IMF Cadets’ second-up encounter with Craigs Investment Partners Tauranga Boys’ College was rained off.

Cadets skipper Andrew Mascall hammered 106 runs off just 52 balls at a strike rate of 203 (per 100 balls). Mascall belted eight fours and eight sixes in his quickfire innings.

Lake Taupō showed that they will be a competitive force in Baywide premier cricket this season in beating Cadets by 38 runs in the early action at Blake Park.

Michael Mitchell batting at four led the way with an unbeaten 62 as his side reached 169 for the loss of just four wickets. The Taupō side’s wickets were shared around, with the bowlers restricting the Western Bay side to 131/8.

Greerton spinner James Boyd did plenty of damage with the ball, taking four wickets at a cost of 21 runs, as Geyser City were limited to 103 with a solitary wicket remaining. Tom MacRury smacked 59 off 26 balls to carry Greerton to a six-wicket victory.

Tauranga Boys’ College, struggled with the intensity of the Mount bowlers to restrict the school side to 107/6. Mount Maunganui cruised to a seven-wicket win with team veteran Peter Drysdale top scoring with 46 runs.

BOPCA Venture Developments Baywide T20 - October 7:

Round One

Flying Mullet Te Puke 171/7 (Iman Nahal 66no, Josh Earle 37) defeated Sanford Wall Lawyers Central Indians 93 (Ben Roborgh 3/21)

Generation Homes Lake Taupō 169/4 (Michael Mitchell 62no, Archie Harrison 43, Nafis Shaikh 30) defeated Element IMF Cadets 131/8 (Blake Pentecost 39)

Craigs Investment Partners Geyser City 103/9 (James Boyd 4/21) lost to Eves Realty Greerton 105/4 (Tom MacRury 59)

Craigs Investment Partners Tauranga Boys’ College 107/6 (Aryan Aryal 34) lost to Bond & Co Mount Maunganui 108/3 (Peter Drysdale 46)

Pāpāmoa the bye

Round Two (All games abandoned)

Generation Homes Lake Taupo 121/2 (Archie Harrison 45no) – Bond & Co Mount Maunganui

Element IMF Cadets 189/3 (Andrew Mascall 106, Sam Clode 51no) - Craigs Investment Partners Tauranga Boys College

Sanford Wall Lawyers Central Indians 164/8 (Stephen Nicholls 47) - Eves Realty Greerton 0/30

Pāpāmoa v Craig Investment Partners Geyser City

Flying Mullet Te Puke the bye