Cricket: Greerton earn Williams Cup home semifinal

Mount Maunganui batsman Logan Carr scored 50 against Greerton on Saturday. Photo / Andrew Warner

Eves Realty Greerton's continued unbeaten run and a record-equalling century dominated the 2018 Williams Cup title chase on Saturday.

A home semifinal awaits Greerton after they dispatched Carrus Mount Maunganui, with both sides entering the contest with unbeaten Williams Cup starts.

Batting first, Greerton reached 209/8 in their allotted overs with Pip Thickpenny — who was playing Reserve grade cricket for Whakatane United in the first half of the season — top scoring with 80 runs. Dan Smith produced the Mount's best bowling figures of 3-37 with Nick Smith also taking three wickets.

The home team made a valiant attempt for victory and were right in the game throughout most of the encounter before the Greerton bowlers tightened the screws. Mount Maunganui were finally removed for 191 to give Greerton a home semifinal despite the Pemberton Park-based side having a bye in next weekend's final qualifying round. Logan Carr posted a half century with Josh Bates taking 4-35 for Greerton.

New World Te Puke's Tai Bridgman-Raison took his tally of centuries to 13 when his team defeated GM Painters Lake Taupo CC in a high-scoring match at Owen Delaney Park in Taupo. The visitors posted 267-7 with Bridgman-Raison belting 146 at a tad under a run a ball in an innings that contained 22 boundaries.

The Taupo batsmen weren't fazed by the big target and set about chasing the total down. Opener Shaun Davies led the chase with 43 with Roger Urbahn top scoring with 46. Tailender Abhinav Batta chipped in with 35 before his side were removed for 195 to give Te Puke their first win of the Williams Cup.

Bridgman-Raison's 13th century equalled Otumoetai Cadets batsman Llorne Howell's Western Bay of Plenty premier club cricket record of three-figure scores set a decade ago.

Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys College and Element IMF Cadets finished their encounter at Nicholson Field in a rare tied result. Tauranga Boys batted first and posted 164 with Cadets finishing their innings locked on the same score.

Williams Cup
Eves Realty Greerton 209/8 (P Thickpenny 80, S Wineti 29; D Smith 3/37, N Smith 3/52) defeated Carrus Mount Maunganui 191 (L Carr 50, D Smith 28, N Smith 26; J Bates 4/35, J Tutty 2/27)
New World Te Puke 267/7 (T Bridgman-Raison 146, A Blackett 43; J Dolan 3/47, D Wilkins 2/60) defeated GM Painters Lake Taupo CC 195 (R Urbahn 46, SB Davies 43, AB Batta 35; C MacDonald 4/30, B Gilroy 3/23)
Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys College 164 tied with Element IMF Cadets 164. Central Indians the bye

Points Table
Greerton 33, Mount Maunganui 21, Central Indians 21, Tauranga Boys College 11, Cadets 11, Te Puke 9, Lake Taupo CC 3.