Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

The last seven days have produced two big Bay of Plenty Cricket milestones, with a Western Bay of Plenty team winning the ND Senior Secondary tournament and a local representative all-rounder bringing up 100 games for his province.

Coached by long time age-group coach Peter Swan, the Bay of Plenty Coastland senior secondary team drawn from the Western Bay of Plenty, won the Alan Whimp trophy for the seventh time since the start of the new millennium.

A remarkable twelve game winning streak, that started after the Bay side were beaten by arch-rivals Hamilton on the opening day of last year’s tournament, took the Coastlands representatives to back to back ND Championship titles. For good measure they also won this seasons T20 crown.

Mentoring the Coastland team to success is Pete Swan, who has turned down higher coaching honours to continue to develop the engine room of the Bay of Plenty Cricket player pathway.

Swan sees the senior secondary teams, as the vital cog in the pathway from age-group cricket to the senior representative game and beyond. Pete has been at the helm of the Coastland senior secondary ranks for the last decade and a half, with eight ND titles testament to his coaching skills and knowledge.

His quiet but firm manner, encompasses his approach to empowering his players to advance their game to higher levels through enhanced skills and enjoyment of the game.

One player who has fulfilled the promise shown in the Coastland senior secondary ranks is Peter Drysdale, who played his 100th Bay of Plenty senior representative game in the ND T20 tournament, held in Taupo on Sunday through to Tuesday.

Pete Swan's 2005 Coastland team, was a vintage side in terms of players progressing to senior representative and professional cricket, although they finished third in final standings wash up. Drysdale captained a team, which included Kane Williamson, Trent Boult along with long serving Northern Knights in Tony Goodin and Bharat Popli.

Peter Drysdale, became just the third Bay of Plenty Cricket centurion, from the 549 players that have worn the blue and gold colours of their province since the first Bay of Plenty minor association game in 1932.

The long-time Mount Maunganui premier player sits in illustrious company in the one hundred game club. Drysdale joins Bay of Plenty Cricket legends Mike Wright (102) and Derek Beard (105) in reaching the magical mark.

The current era with its three forms of the game, have propelled Drysdale to the 100 game mark in just ten seasons. Wright and Beard took a longer period to reach the 100 games for their province, on a diet of just two-day games.

Drysdale's single minded pursuit of success, has seen the representative batsman break a myriad of Bay of Plenty Cricket records. His 3215 runs, rank him as only the third Bay batsman to break the 3000 run barrier behind Mike Wright and Bharat Popli. For good measure he has numbered 24 bowling scalps as a part time bowler.

It is in Hawke Cup cricket, which is the symbol of minor association supremacy in the country, that Peter has fashioned a further outstanding record. Bay of Plenty has won and defended the Hawke Cup on sixteen occasions since their first Hawke Cup Direct Challenge in 1932.

Drysdale has led his Bay of Plenty Hawke Cup troops to victory on nine occasions. He leads the most appearances list with 13 games and has blasted 524 Hawke Cup runs and set a second wicket partnership record of 197, with Alex Lees, against Counties Manukau in 2017.

Drysdale loves a challenge and he is sure to want to set further all-time appearance and batting figures, before retirement finally beckons.