 |
Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz |
There was a heap of after match celebrating from the Bay of Plenty representative cricket side at the Bay Oval last Sunday after lifting aloft the Fergus Hickey Rosebowl in triumph.
However, the season-long victory that climaxed in the defeat of Hamilton was built upon adversity, leadership and players stepping up to take control of their own destiny.
Wind back the clock to the start of the season and there was little joy and just the prospect of hard work to be competitive.
The first game of the season in the Northern Districts minor association championship title race saw the Bay side thumped by some 150 runs by Hamilton, at the annual ND one-day tournament.
After a rained out affair on day two, the Bay headed into the third and final game of the tournament with Northland, without a win.
On day three the Bay bowlers stepped up, and rolled the team from the far north for just 123.
In a sign of what was to come, skipper Jono Boult grabbed four wickets with Tony Goodin taking three wickets at a cost of just eight runs.
The first two-day game of the Fergus Hickey series resulted in the Bay chasing down a Northland total of 251 runs to take first innings points from the encounter.
However, the Bay's early season roller coaster ride continued against Counties Manukau, where they lost first innings points, in spite of falling just a solitary wicket short of an outright victory.
Entering the holiday break in play, the Bay prospect of winning the symbol of ND minor association cricket supremacy looked fairly bleak.
However, a fresh approach in the new year and a couple of subtle changes in the playing XI saw the team start to perform.
A hit and run road trip to Gisborne to play Poverty Bay in a one-day match started the new momentum.
After bowling the home side out for 153, Bay of Plenty cruised to a nine wicket win.
Next up Bay of Plenty easily disposed of Waikato Valley in the team's first home game of the season with another nine wicket win.
With early leader Counties Manukau dropping away – Bay of Plenty was back in title contention when they faced Poverty Bay at the BOP Cricket Oval in a two-day game. In the same week that Joe Carter earned selection in the New Zealand Under-19 team, the talented batsman blasted his maiden century for the Bay of Plenty first XI, smashing 104 runs.
The Poverty Bay outright win, set up showdown with Hamilton, who had humbled the Bay side early in the season for the right to lift the Fergus Hickey prize aloft in triumph.
In what had become the Fergus Hickey title decider, the Bay of Plenty side controlled the encounter from the first ball.
After winning the toss Bay skipper Jono Boult elected to bat and was rewarded with his team being 250/7 at stumps on day one, courtesy of a magnificent 102 by opening batsmen Peter Drysdale.
The Bay side went on to reach 304 all out on day two before blasting Hamilton out for just 150 to take out a substantial first innings points victory.
It is interesting to look back and see how the Bay team transformed themselves from having little chance of lifting the championship at the mid-season break to Fergus Hickey champions for the third time in four years.
Sideline Sid believes that there were three components to the ND championship success.
The coaching and tactical approach from Bay of Plenty coach James Pamment and assistant coach Ben Williams laid the platform of belief in the side.
The second cog was a fluid approach from the Bay selectors who made a few vital selection changes along the way.
However, it was the individual players who stood up to perform after a mediocre season start that was the catalyst for victory.
A number of significant milestones were set on the way to the Fergus Hickey success.
Captain Jono Boult led from the front and also set new Bay bowling figures taking a remarkable 33 wickets during the season.
The new bowling record shattered Black Cap Graeme Aldridge tally of 26 wickets set seven seasons ago.
The skipper also passed the 1500 run mark for Bay of Plenty, putting him into seventh place on the all time list
Bharat Popli and Ben Williams reached 1000 runs in the Bay uniform with Matthew Drake getting past the 1200 run mark.
Williams and Drake also both reached the magical 50 games in the Bay of Plenty uniform early in the new year.
At season end it was some outstanding individual performances from the Bay players, which resulted in Bay of Plenty winning the prestigious trophy for the 13th occasion.
Seeya at the Game
