Rotorua dispatch Taupo in cricket season opener

Seamer Matt McLaughlin quickly put Taupo on the ropes before Rotorua opener Julian Danby steered the homeside through its successful first representative outing of the summer.
Danby struck an unbeaten 67 as Rotorua cruised past Taupo's total of 131 with the loss of just two wickets in the Atrill Cup fixture at Smallbone Park on Sunday.

The win keeps Rotorua on target to make the region's final against the Western Bay of Plenty representatives Tauranga in February.
Rotorua need to head pool B from Eastern Bay of Plenty and Taupo to make the final, and they look a great if their commanding win on Sunday is anything to go by.
Rotorua were in control from the time McLaughlin took a smart caught and bowled chance from just the second ball of the game. He then bowled Cameron McGrath with a copybook yorker.
Wayne Enoka tried to wrest the initiative back with some powerful shot making, getting to 23 before he was caught in the slips by Brad Gallon off the second delivery from Barry Hogan.
Simon Dufty batted soundly for 22 before he was trapped in front by Mark Rawson. Good line-and-length bowling from Mohinda Sawroop, who conceded only seven runs off five overs, kept the batsmen tied down. Chris Eyes and Dave Muir added 45 for the seventh wicket to take the score to 119 before Eyes was caught on 18, trying to increase the rate.
Muir was dismissed for 21 in the next over and, with Hogan taking the last two wickets in the 42nd over, Taupo were all out for 131.
Danby and Sanjay Unka opened the home team's innings, and when Unka hit two cracking boundaries off Geoff Kilgour's second over it looked as though it could be a hard, but short, time for the Taupo fieldsmen.
But Unka flashed once too many times outside the off stump and Enoka gratefully accepted the chance. His day wasn't over however, as he was needed to run for Danby who had a knee problem.
Rotorua posted their 50 in the 16th over, Danby 30no, and even though Taupo bowled six maidens in their first twenty overs Rotorua had 61 on the board when Jarrod Christoffersen was dismissed. That was to be Taupo's last success as captain Eugene Moore and Danby were still at the wicket 72 runs and 12 overs later when the winning runs were hit.
Danby looked in control from the first ball he faced, his 50 included eight boudaries. After a scratchy start, he was dropped before scoring, Moore looked assured and it was fitting that he finished the game with a big six over mid wicket.
The Taupo fielders and bowlers stuck to their task throughout but the bottom line was that they didn't have enough runs to stretch the home side.
Taupo get another chance in the Atrill Cup on December 11 when they host Eastern Bay on December 11. Rotorua's next outing is on January 15 at Smallbone Park against Eastern Bay.
* Taupo 131 (W Enoka 23 S Dufty 22 D Muir 21 C Eyes 18; M McLaughlin 2/18, B Hogan 3/28, M Rawson 2/190 lost to Rotorua 133-2 (J Danby 67no, E Moore 37no).