Following on from the success of the inaugural Baywide Secondary Schools First XI Cricket Championship played in the last term of 2010 – BOP Cricket has set in place a year long first XI championship to be played in term one and four of the 2011 school year.

The first XI contests are a true Baywide competition, catering for secondary schools from all four Bay of Plenty Cricket Sub-Associations.

For the first time the Taupo region will be represented in regional first XI cricket with a team from Tauhara and Taupo Nui A Tia Colleges having combined to play in the Baywide league.

The leading run maker in the 2010 competition was Katikati College batsmen Scott Nicol; nearly 200 runs, with a highest score of 117, which was the only century of the first XI competition, testifies to a player who likes to put bat to ball.

Trident High School players led the bowling statistics. Pip Thickpenny took 14 wickets, while the best individual bowling figures were returned by Matt Purdy of 5/14.

Eastern Bay of Plenty school Trident High, will take the favourite tag into the term one competition after annexing the 2010 Baywide first XI championship.

While the Eastern Bay School cruised through the preliminary rounds, they were made to fight for victory in the championship final.

Trident batted first against Tauranga Boys' College, and was in some trouble at 80/4. However, a 72 run partnership between Pip Thickpenny who took control of his side's innings and Jeremiah Belina put the Trident innings back on track.

In the later overs, with the home side looking likely to really cut loose, some tight line and length bowling from Tauranga Boys' Scott White and Henry Conway, resulted in Trident being dismissed for 217.

Tauranga Boy' got away to a flyer, and at 122/4 was on track to chase down the good-sized target. However, the Trident bowlers dismissed the last six Tauranga Boys' batsmen for 40 odd runs, to claim a 45 run victory.

BOP Secondary School First Eleven Draw 19 February 2011

Tauranga Boys' College 2 v Katikati College, Tauranga Boys' College 1 v Rotorua BHS, Trident HS v John Paul College, Aquinas College v Otumoetai College, Bethlehem College v Taupo Combined Schools, Mount Maunganui College the bye.