Trophy has plenty in reserve

The hot summer days of February and March bring extra anticipation for the Bay of Plenty senior reserve cricketers.

On the line is the McNaughton Trophy, which is the prize for the Bay of Plenty Baywide Reserve Grade championship.

The origins of the trophy came from a donation by the McNaughton family of Te Puke of a trophy for competition between second tier teams from the Tauranga and Te Puke sub-associations.

Years ago the competition was expanded to include all reserve grade sides in Bay of Plenty cricket.

Played on Sunday afternoons in February and March, the 2013 competition has seen the addition of a qualifying round due to the addition of two extra entries. Geyser City and BOP Indians, who play in the Rotorua reserve grade competition, will square off against Greerton and Te Puke respectively, with the winners advancing to the quarter-finals.

Already in the quarter-finals are Wanderers, who represent the Taupo region, Rotorua Central and Mount Maunganui, Katikati and Cadets from the Western Bay of Plenty.

Defending champions Mount Maunganui and Katikati have dominated the final stanza in recent seasons. In the past two seasons Mount Maunganui have beaten Katikati to hold aloft the McNaughton Trophy while in 2010, Katikati defeated Rotorua Central in the final.

McNaughton Trophy 2013 entries

Geyser City, Central, BOP Indians (Rotorua) R&A; Sangha CC, Cadets, Greerton, Mount Maunganui, Katikati, Te Puke (Western BOP) Wanderers (Taupo)

McNaughton Trophy Draw

February 3 (preliminary round) Geyser CC v Greerton, Smallbone Park; Te Puke v BOP Indians, Te Puke Domain

February 17 Quarter-finals

March 3 Semifinals

March 17 McNaughton Trophy Final