Patient batting displays from Bharat Popli and Joe Carter have kept Bay of Plenty in the hunt to earn the Northern Districts 2015 Hawke Cup Direct Challenge, after taking first innings points from Counties Manukau.

At Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval this weekend the Fergus Hickey Rosebowl match began with the visitors making first use of the batting strip, as the wet weather slowly made its way towards the ground.

Action from an earlier Fergus Hickey Rosebowl match at Bay Oval. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Counties had reached 60-odd runs for the loss of three wickets when the players were forced from the field by rain early in the afternoon. There was a considerable break in play before the match resumed at 4.20pm.

Barry Rhodes dug in to post his side's equal top score of 39, with Tamati Clarke reaching the same mark before being dismissed.

Bay of Plenty's Joe Carter grabbed a stunning catch at point not long after the match resumed to put a brake on Counties' momentum, with the visitors removed in the early evening for 233.

Donovan Deeble, playing just his second game for the Bay First XI, grabbed a three-wicket bag. Bay quicks Tony Goodin and Brett Hampton took two wickets apiece, with Bay debutant Josh Dwight rewarding the selectors with a wicket.

Just two Bay overs completed the day's play with the home team 8/0 at stumps.

The Bay openers got their side away to a comfortable start on day two, reaching 75/2, before Bharat Popli and Carter arrived at the crease.

Both played patient knocks, with Popli rewarded with his team's top score of 80 while Carter was eventually dismissed for 64.

Mitch McCann continued the home side's momentum with 58 runs, with Jason Trembath smacking a quickfire 32 not out off 19 balls, which saw the Bay declare at 356/8, giving them first-innings points.

The Bay side had just a couple of hours to attempt to dismiss Counties again in order to grab an outright win.

Counties were quickly in trouble in their second turn at bat, with two batsmen back in the Bay Oval pavilion with just two runs on the board.

Rhodes once again dug deep with an undefeated 56 to rescue his side, with Counties finishing on 156 for the loss of six wickets. The Bay's McCann backed up his batting performance, taking three wickets.

Fergus Hickey Rosebowl at Bay Oval, November 15-16:

Counties Manukau 233 (B Rhodes 39, T Clarke 39; Donovan Deeble 3/41, Brett Hampton 2/46, Tony Goodin 2/53) & 158/6 (B Rhodes 56no; Mitch McCann 3/58)

Bay of Plenty 356/8 declared (Bharat Popli 80, Joe Carter 64, Mitch McCann 58, Jason Trembath 32)

Result: Bay of Plenty took first innings points.