Geyser City gunning for confident display

CONFIDENT: Geyser City cricket first XI players Manny Kumar (left), club captain Jimmy Coutts (centre) and captain Matt Collier. PHOTO/FILE

Geyser City first XI are full of "confidence and belief" ahead of tomorrow's Western Bay of Plenty reserve grade match, according to club chairman Mike Holmes.

The Rotorua side, currently bottom, take on fellow league strugglers Te Puke at home tomorrow with just three matches remaining before the first round silverware is presented on December 17.

And while Geyser City are out of the running for the pre-Christmas trophy, Holmes' remarks come after the bottom of the table side recorded their first win of the competition against mid table Katikati last weekend.

It's a result Holmes said had given the side a "huge confidence boost".

"The players are feeling very confident. With a win finally under their belts it's done them a world of good," he said.

"In some respects we want to forget a lot of our performances this year and make sure we finish on a high.

"Te Puke is a great opportunity for us to stamp our mark again and these are the sorts of games we should be winning.

"Traditionally they [Te Puke] have been very strong so we just need to make sure everything clicks together like last week."

At the top of the table with 60 points up for grabs in the last three weeks of competition, Lake Taupo Cricket Club appear to have a stranglehold on the title - 40 points clear in first and they face fourth placed Mount Maunganui away at Blake Park.

Elsewhere, in the Rotorua/Taupo senior reserve grade, local side Eastern Pirates are aiming for their fifth straight win when they take on GM Painters Lake Taupo CC second Xl at Ray Boord Park.

"This year we have started with the right culture at the club and have been the ones to watch at the moment," Eastern Pirates' captain Johnny Wiringi said. "But we can't get ahead of ourselves. That's how you get complacent.

"I'm not confident playing Taupo - they are a new team in the league we don't know a lot about. It will all depend on the day."

Central CC Reserves are looking to redeem themselves for last weekend's defeat when they take on Taupo Schools 1st XI.

BOP Indians travel to take on Taupo Old Boys first XI and Chance Cars Geyser City Reserves are way at Taupo Old Boys second XI.

Fixtures:

WBOPCA Western Bay of Plenty reserve grade:
Saturday, 12pm start.

Geyser City v Te Puke, Ray Boord Park, Rotorua.

Mount Maunganui v Lake Taupo CC, Blake Park 3, Tauranga.

Greerton v Cadets, Pemberton Park, Tauranga.

Whakatane United v Aquinas College, Rex Morepeth Park, Whakatane.

R&A Sangha v Sikh Sports, Fergusson Park 2, Tauranga.

Tauranga Boys Collegen v Katikati, Fergusson Park 3, Tauranga.

Points: Lake Taupo CC 160, Greerton 120, Whakatane United 104, Mount Maunganui 102, R&A Sangha 101, Katikati 96, Tauranga Boys College 95, Sikh Sports 90, Aquinas College 82, Cadets 81, Te Puke 63, Geyser City first XI 61.

Rotorua/ Taupo senior reserve grade:
Saturday, 1pm start.

Eastern Pirates v GM Painters Lake Taupo CC 2nd Xl, Ray Boord Park 1.

Taupo Old Boys 1 v BOP Indians CC Reserves, ODP 1, Taupo.

Taupo Old Boys 2 v Chance Cars Geyser City Reserves, Kaimanawa.

Taupo Schools 1st XI v Central CC, Central Reserves - venue to be confirmed in Rotorua.