AN OCCASIONAL BLOG OF THE HAPPENINGS AT THE BAY OVAL DURING THE 2014-15 SEASON
While we are still getting over the euphoria of the two Black Caps verses South Africa games at “OUR” Oval last week – the action continues at the Bay Oval at Mount Maunganui this weekend, when Bay of Plenty kick off their current season Fergus Hickey Rosebowl campaign.
There is no more important NZ Cricket Minor Associations prize on the line each season than the Hawke Cup. Every year, Hawke Cup Direct Challenges are allocated to each of the four zones, with the ND Direct Challenge given to the winner of a calendar year competition, within the Fergus Hickey Rosebowl competition.
The half way stage of the race for the 2015 ND Direct Challenge, has resulted in Bay of Plenty holding a solitary point advantage from Northland, with Hamilton lurking six points adrift. With two-day points on offer at the Bay Oval, the Fergus Hickey match is vital to the Hawke Cup aspirations of both Bay of Plenty and Northland.
The Bay of Plenty first XI, is arguably the best minor association team in the country, so come along and support the Bay boys in their first Fergus Hickey home game of the season - and the best part of the weekend game, is free entry.
As we go through the season, we are continuing to shine the spotlight on the Bay of Plenty homegrown Black Caps. In this edition we profile Graeme Aldridge who seems to have been around forever.
The emergence of Graeme Aldridge in Bay of Plenty rep cricket 1997, was the start of a number of Bay of Plenty players earning professional cricket contracts. ‘G’, as friends and teammates alike know him, has made an indelible impression, which continues to the present day.
Graeme, made his debut in the Bay of Plenty Senior Men’s side on the 15th March 1997, in a Hawke Cup defence at Blake Park Mount Maunganui. The game produced the Bay of Plenty all time record score of 553/9, until supplanted by the Hawke Cup victory against Hamilton (701 all out) two summers ago. Individual highlights were Simon Winter blasting 181 and GW Aldridge posting 52 runs batting at nine.
Since then, G has gone on to a simply outstanding Northern Knights career which continues to this day and selection for the Black Caps that toured Zimbabwe a couple of seasons ago.
Full Name Graeme Williams Aldridge
Major Teams New Zealand, New Zealand A, Northern Districts
Batting Style Right-hand bat
Bowling Style Right-arm fast-medium
Batting Matches Runs Av HS
ODI’s 2 dnb
T20 1 dnb
First-Class 114 222 20.20 75
List A 130 707 17.24 50
Twenty 20 43 112 17.24 22
Bowling Matches Wickets BB
ODI’s 2 1 1/45
T20 1 1 1/45
First Class 114 332 6/41
List A 130 175 5/34
Twenty 20 43 40 4/19
Bay of Plenty Statistics (1997 - 2014)
Matches 45
Runs 975 bb 137no v Midlands 1997/98 season
Wickets 123 bb 8/29 v Hamilton 2004/05 season
BAY OVAL, MOUNT MAUNGANUI - 2014/15 MATCH SCHEDULE
(Next Bay Oval Game in Italics)
Fergus Hickey Rosebowl
1/ 2 November Bay of Plenty v Northland (Two-Day Match)
15/16 November Bay of Plenty v Counties/Manukau @ Bay Oval (Two-Day Match
Ford Trophy
January 1 Northern Knights v Wellington Firebirds
January 4 Northern Knights v Otago Volts
January 21 Northern Knights v Auckland Aces
Fergus Hickey Rosebowl
11 January Bay of Plenty v Poverty Bay @ Bay Oval (One-Day
Women’s One Day Internationals
February 11 White Ferns v England
February 13 White Ferns v England
February 15 White Ferns v England
Plunket Shield
April 1-4 Plunket Shield – Northern Knights v Canterbury
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