Black Cap Trent Boult (right) starred for Cadets at the weekend. Photo / Cadets Cricket Club
Black Cap Trent Boult (right) starred for Cadets at the weekend. Photo / Cadets Cricket Club
Black Cap Trent Boult gave a master class in pace bowling for his home club Element IMF Cadets as they handed Eves Realty Greerton their first loss of the Versatile Tauranga Williams Cup on Saturday.
Playing alongside elder brother Jono Boult, the international cricket star took the opportunity of time out from New Zealand duty to turn out for Cadets, who he first joined a decade-and-a-half ago.
Cadets batted first at Greerton headquarters at Pemberton Park and set a reasonable target of 182.
Jono Boult top scored with 47 runs and Chris Mascall chipped in with a handy 33.
Trent Boult opened the Cadets' bowling, taking his first wicket with his fourth ball and grabbing four of the first five wickets to have the home side in desperate trouble at 31 for the loss of five.
Mitchell Rush (30) and Brendan Laurenzi (25) steadied the ship somewhat. Jono Boult chipped in with two bowling scalps before Trent returned to finish his spell with five wickets at a cost of 38 runs, as Greerton were rolled for 109.
Generation Homes Lake Taupō would have fancied their chances of upsetting Bond & Co Mount Maunganui at Blake Park, after bowling the home side out for 145.
Conor Well was the best of the Mount batting attack with 32 runs, while the Lake Taupō wickets were shared around.
Long-serving Mount bowler Dale Swan weaved more magic with the ball, producing a match-winning performance of five wickets at a cost of just eight runs.
Trent Boult in action for Cadets on Saturday. Photo / Cadets Cricket Club
Brett Randell also did plenty of damage with three wickets as the Taupō side were dismissed with just 85 runs on the board.
Craigs Investment Partners Geyser made a valiant attempt to chase down the Bayleys Central Indians' total of 250/4.
Nadeera Nawela top-scored for the combined side with 84. Gordon O'Donoghue led the chase with a half-century as the Geyser reply fell just 28 runs short of their target.
Flying Mullet Te Puke won the encounter with near-neighbours Pāpāmoa after Te Puke posted 272/6.
Stephen Crossan, Jamie Oakley and Tai Bridgman-Raison all reached the 60s with Ben Goodall taking a four-wicket bag for the home side.
Pāpāmoa were dismissed for 194 to hand Te Puke a 78-run victory.
The final qualifying round of the Williams Cup has resulted in Greerton hosting Mount Maunganui in the preliminary final, with the winner taking a direct path to the title decider.
Cadets travel to Rotorua to play Central Indians in the qualifying final.
Williams Cup results Mount Maunganui 145 (Conor Wells 32) beat Lake Taupō 85 (Dale Swan 5/8, Brett Randell 3/15).
