The Bay of Plenty Senior Men's cricket team will enter the second half of the ND Fergus Hickey Rosebowl season, full of determination, after a couple of mediocre performances to end 2014.

For inexplicable reasons, the Bay of Plenty First XI seemed to struggle in their first half of their annual ND Championship campaign, before bouncing back to find devastating form after the holiday season break in play.

Last season provided a perfect example of the Bay's seasons of two halves. Winning just a solitary match, and shared points for a rained out encounter – the Bay side were unbeaten in the second half of the Fergus Hickey competition.

On Sunday they start the second half of their cricket year and also chase the ND Hawke Cup qualifying points on offer, in the calendar year quest for the ND 2016 Hawke Cup Direct Challenge.

The Bay side will enter the one-day encounter with Poverty Bay at the Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval on Sunday, with a side long on experience.

During the first half of the current Fergus Hickey season, three Bay players brought up their 50th game in the Blue and Gold uniform, thereby earning a much sought after baggy blue cap.

Current Bay of Plenty captain Peter Drysdale, has rocketed up the all-time appearance list taking just five years to post 50 games for the Bay, with Bharat Popli and Tony Goodin also bringing up the half century mark in the current season.

Brett Hampton and wicket keeper Tim Clarke are poised to reach the standard of excellence sometime in the near future, with Hampton on 46 Bay appearances while Clarke lurks just behind on 43 games.

Current Northern Knight Joe Carter, who holds the Bay's highest score of 215 not out, will play on Sunday taking his tally of Bay first team matches to 35, with Mitch McCann and Tom MacRury having played over 20 matches for their province.

Bay of Plenty Team to play Poverty Bay at the Bay Oval on January 11:

(Bay of Plenty appearances in brackets)

Peter Drysdale (captain - 54) Bharat Popli (51) Tony Goodin (50) Brett Hampton (46) Tim Clarke (43) Joe Carter (34) Mitch McCann (25) Tom MacRury (21) Andrew Gibbs (19) Jason Trembath (15) Cameron Neal (9) Donovan Deeble (3)

Bay of Plenty's Fergus Hickey Rosebowl Draw 2015:

January 11 v Poverty Bay at Bay Oval

February 1 v Waikato Valley at Cambridge Square

February 21/22 v Hamilton at Galloway Park, Hamilton

March 7/8 v Poverty Bay at Harry Barker Reserve, Gisborne