Western Bay Cricket playoffs this weekend

File Photo.

A long and weary cricket journey has brought the Reserve Grade four top qualifiers to the post section phase of the Western Bay of Plenty Championship that kicked off back on October 27 2018.

The change to the season long Reserve Grade title race endorsed by team captains at a pre-season meeting, has been an unqualified success. Since the resumption of play after the med-season holiday break, the leader at the top of the standings changed virtually every week.

Top qualifier Mount Maunganui, saved their run to the top to the penultimate week of qualifying competition, before cementing their position when they defeated R&A Sangha last weekend. Mount Maunganui will be joined by defending titleholders Te Puke and the two Greerton Reserve sides, in the battle to win the Reserve Grade title.

The weekend scenario, is that the two top qualifiers in Mount Maunganui and Greerton will fight out the major semi-final. The winner takes a direct route to the final, the following weekend, with the loser having to back-up next day (Sunday March 24 2019) against the winner of the minor semi-final, to find the second finalist.

Sudden death cricket is on the agenda of Te Puke and the Greerton Sikh XI, who contest the minor semi-final with the winner backing up on Sunday while the loser can only contemplate what might have been.

Two straight post section victories will find the winner of the B Grade Championship. Top qualifiers Papamoa Wanderers will take on fellow Papamoa Cricket club-mates PapaOMA's at Gordon Spratt Reserve. The OMA's sneaked into the semi-finals grabbing the last post section place, on a four-way net run-rate count back, from Grasshoppers, Cadets and Mount Maunganui.

Defending B Grade champions Greerton, have a shot at back to back titles when they square off with the Singh CC second eleven, at the Alice Johnston Reserve in Papamoa.

WBOPCA Reserve Grade Semi-Finals – 23 March 2019

Major Semi Final: Mount Maunganui v Greerton, Blake Park

Minor Semi-Final: Te Puke v Greerton Sikh, Blake Park

WBOPCA B Grade Championship Semi-Finals

Papamoa Wanderers v PapaOMA'S, Gordon Spratt Reserve; Singh XI v Greerton, Alice Johnston Reserve.

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