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

A recent Bay of Plenty Cricket facebook post announced the changing of the guard at the helm of the senior men's representative team with a new head coach appointment.

Former NZC Major Association professional player Jono Boult will step into the shoes of Daniel Flynn, who has been appointed the Northern Districts Performance and Talent Coach.

Jono Boult brings an impressive resume to his new position after long stints with Northern Districts, Bay of Plenty and Otumoetai Cadets as a professional, regional and club player.

Flynn's advancement, along the NZC coaches' pathway, follows in the footsteps of other Bay senior men's mentors in James Pamment and Graeme Aldridge.

Boult had a long and notable career for ND in playing 106 matches spread over the three forms of the game. A touch under 1000 runs and 125 wickets tell the story of a genuine all-rounder, equally adept with bat and ball.

Slap bang in the middle of his professional career was an appearance for a New Zealand XI against India, at Cobham Oval in Whangarei, during the 2013/14 season.

The New Zealand team consisted of several current and future Black Caps along with some of the countries (then) promising young talent.

Jono made his presence felt, in the two day encounter that ended in draw, with 8 runs batting down the order and one wicket.

However, it's the Bay of Plenty team where he's left an indelible mark.

JJ Boult, earned BOPCA player number 467, when he made his debut in the Bay of Plenty strip against Northland, on the 21/22 February 2004 at the Te Puke Domain.

The bare bones of his statistics tell us that he played 86 matches and posted 2440 runs alongside 157 wickets, which places him fifth, seventh and fifth, on the BOPCA all-time list of notable milestones.

Boult took part in seven of the 35 Bay of Plenty Hawke Cup Direct Challenge matches from 1932 to 2022. He became one of just five BOP captains to lead his side to Hawke Cup glory, with an impressive seven wicket victory against Manawatu in February 2013.

His Hawke Cup statistics were equally impressive, with 266 runs and 24 wickets which places him second behind Tony Goodin on the all-time bowling list.

Loyalty is a big word in Boult's cricket vocabulary, with long-time membership of Otumoetai Cadets Cricket Club encapsulating his pride of belonging to the cricket club based at the Tauranga Domain.

The Cadets has played a huge part in the life of the Boult family, with younger brother Trent always endeavouring to play one premier club game for his Bay of Plenty club each season when international and professional cricket duty allowed.

Jono Boult will bring a myriad of his learning's from playing the professional game to the senior men's side, which include pride, passion, and the fervent desire to win while playing within the spirit of the game.

He is likely to put a big emphasis on creating a bond of comradeship that will bind the senior men's team together, and last into the future, when team members go their various ways.