Western Bay of Plenty and Rotorua won their second round of Attrill Cup matches on Saturday at Ferguson Park to set up a head-to-head battle between the two sides in the deciding round of play.

Western Bay of Plenty and Rotorua won their second round of Attrill Cup matches. Photo: file.

The Battle of the Harbour Bridge between defending champions Tauranga and the Western Bay team, drawn from Te Puke and Mount Maunganui, turned into a battle of attrition before the combined team emerged with the win.

Tauranga lost the toss and were asked to bat first by the combined side. While wickets fell at one end, opener Tom MacRury was a rock at the other end and played resolutely for his side's top score of 74. Donovan Deeble (29) batting at six, dug deep to put on a solid partnership with MacRury, while Tauranga tail ender Tommy Clout (26) posted a defiant knock.

Western Bay medium quick Josh Dwight, who has Bay of Plenty first eleven aspirations this season, did the damage with the ball. Five wickets for 24 runs included the key wicket of Brett Hampton first ball. Western Bay skipper Peter Drysdale also bowled well to grab three wickets.

The combined side openers of Peter Drysdale and Tim Clarke took control of the game and reached 160 without loss before Clarke was dismissed for 67. From there a mini collapse followed with Western Bay losing four players for one run. However Stephen Crossan (18no) and Drysdale (92no) took their team home to victory for the loss of five wickets.

Rotorua won the toss and batted first against Eastern Bay of Plenty, posting 179 all out. Jason Trembath top scored with 49, while Johnny Barrow finished with 45 runs to his name, with 16 year old Brad Munro posting 30 runs. David Brent took 4/16 for the Eastern Bay side.

Few could imagine the devastation that Rotorua medium pacer Andrew Gibbs would inflict when the opposition went out to bat. The former Bay representative, who has aspirations to return to the Bay team, took seven wickets at a cost of 30 runs as Eastern Bay were bowled out for 45. Rotorua skipper Jason Trembath backed up his sides top score with two wickets for just four runs.

Attrill Cup result: October 25, 2014

Rotorua 179 (Jason Trembath 49, Johnny Barrow 45, Brad Munro 30; David Brent 4/16, Devon Bell 2/29, Oliver Smithson 2/44) defeated Eastern Bay of Plenty 45 (Alex Yates 19; Andrew Gibbs 7/30, J Trembath 2/4)

Tauranga 216 (Tom MacRury 74, Donovan Deeble 29, Tommy Clout 26; Josh Dwight 5/24, Peter Drysdale 3/27) lost to Western Bay of Plenty 217 (P Drysdale 92no, Tim Clarke 67; T Clout 3/51, B Hampton 2/32)