San Francisco team opens tour with win

A cricket  game with a twist was held at the North East Valley Cricket Club on Saturday.

The Bay Area Beevers from San Francisco visited Dunedin as part of a tour around New Zealand, playing against cricket teams from select locations.

A North East Valley side played against the Beevers in a 40-over match.

Expats living in the United States formed the cricket team in San Francisco, and Red Hendery, of Tawa, organised the excursion to New Zealand.

Team manager Jarrod Lovell, originally from Hawera and living in San Francisco, said the game was the first of 10 the team would play around the South Island and Wellington over the coming weeks.

"Our team is made up of guys from countries like India and Zimbabwe. For most of them, it’s their first time visiting New Zealand, so it’s really cool.

"It’s some friendly cricket and sightseeing along the way."

The Bay Area Beevers team had a win.

North East Valley batted first and made 195, a score which was beaten by the Bay Area Beavers, which made 196 for five.

The next stops for the team include Alexandra, Queenstown, Christchurch, Pleasant Point and Wellington.