Changes ahead for Baywide cricket season

PROUD MOMENT: Te Puke players celebrate after winning the Williams Cup last summer. PHOTO/FILE

A new BOPCA Baywide Premier competition format will be introduced in the 2016/17 cricket season.

The big change is that the Baywide Cup and Williams Cup competitions will be played over two rounds.

The Baywide Cup beginning on October 8 will comprise two rounds of play, with the side that banks the most points during the six rounds of round robin competition being presented with the season's first Baywide prize.

The Williams Cup, which dates back to the 1930s, is considered the big prize in Baywide competition and will be played over two rounds, followed by three playoff rounds.

In another change, Rotorua Central and Bay of Plenty Indians have joined forces and are expected to produce an extremely competitive side that can challenge the Western Bay of Plenty contenders in the Baywide Cup and Williams Cup competitions.

The amalgamation of the two Rotorua teams has removed the dreaded bye from the two title races with six competitive teams going head to head. The 2015 Baywide Cup final was a genuine battle of attrition with Eves Realty Greerton sneaking home from Element IMF Cadets by just six runs.

Greerton batted first and were bowled out for 224, with Tom MacRury leading his side with a hard-fought 128 not out, while Sean Davey returned his side's best bowling figures of 4/45.

Cadets fell agonisingly close when they were restricted to 218/7 by the Greerton bowlers. Scott Steward top scored for the Tauranga Domain-based team with Harrison Perry and Tommy Clout grabbing three wickets apiece for the winners.

The Williams Cup title decider played on Easter Friday was dogged by rain throughout the game and the final result achieved late in the day was testament to both sides' desire to lift the trophy aloft in victory on the day.

Carrus Mount Maunganui took first use of a seaming wicket at the Bay Oval and were dismissed for a relatively modest 136, with Christian MacDonald doing the major damage with the ball taking 4-15.

A long rain delay saw play re-commence at 6.30pm, with Te Puke needing 39 to win off 42 balls. Mount Maunganui skipper Nick Smith worked hard with his off spinners to take two wickets, with Te Puke needing two runs off the last ball of the match to claim victory.

The Mount fielders could only watch as the Te Puke batsmen ran two to grab victory.