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Sports correspondent & historian with |
Casual observers of local sports in New Zealand often miss out on significant news due to the shutdown of local sports coverage in many daily newspapers, which Covid-19 triggered.
A prime example is the performance of the Bay of Plenty senior representative cricket team, which put together a season of eight straight victories.
The top achievements are three comprehensive wins over long-time arch-rivals Hamilton, posted in the Northern Districts two-day, one-day, and T20 title races.
The success is largely due to Jono Boult, a former Northern Districts player who is now in his second term as the Bay of Plenty coach.
Boult brings a comprehensive cricket background to his initial endeavours in the representative coaching ranks, having played more than 100 matches in the Northern Districts uniform.
It is complemented by 2240 runs and 157 wickets in his 87 appearances for the Bay of Plenty representative side.
Last season, the newly minted coach cast his net wide as he introduced eleven players to the Bay of Plenty team, emphasising zing youth and building for the future.
A Lake Taupo Cricket Club and Papamoa player received Bay representative honours for the first time.
Just three players have made their Bay of Plenty debut this season as Boult consolidates his side.
While the youngsters have been the focus, two veterans who made their Bay debut a decade and a half ago are anchoring this season’s spectacular run of form.
Peter Drysdale (137 games) and Bharat Popli (103) are two of just four Bay players to have worn the blue and gold strip on over 100 occasions.
Popli is the Bay of Plenty’s all-time highest run scorer, with 4509 runs and 14 centuries.
Drysdale has belted 4145 runs and added versatility as an all-rounder with 83 representative wickets.
Boult surrounded his young players with a pair of Black Caps during the Northern Districts T20 tournament at Bay Oval in December 2024.
Neil Wagner and Trent Boult showcased their professionalism by playing for the Bay in the Super Smash tournament.
The professional approach has improved by including players such as Joe Carter, Brett Hampton, Ben Pomare, and Fergus Lellman to fill gaps in the Northern Districts roster.
Lellman and wicket-keeper Pomare are prime examples of the Bay of Plenty Cricket pathway.
Both players were selected for New Zealand Under 19 teams in 2020.
They then progressed to Northern Districts A teams before signing professional contracts with Northern Districts Cricket in October 2024.
I hope sharing Bay of Plenty’s eight consecutive wins doesn’t jinx them in their last three Northern Districts matches.
