Cricket: Mount aim to keep record intact

Tauranga Boys' College batsman Sean Wakelin scrambles for the crease against Whakatane United at Nicholson Field. Photo / Andrew Warner

The Baywide Cup returns to take centre stage in Bay of Plenty Premier cricket this weekend and a straight four-week run will decide the 2014 titleholder at finals day on December 13.

Leading into the last three rounds of round robin play are defending champions Carrus Mount Maunganui, who have won the Baywide title five times since its inception eight years ago.

Mount Maunganui will want to keep their unbeaten record intact when they square off with Tauranga Boys' College at Nicholson Field tomorrow.

Mount keeper Tim Clarke was one of two Western Bay batsmen to blast centuries in the last round of the Baywide Cup, when he posted a sparkling 138 runs against Whakatane United.

Tauranga Boys' sit in the top four and should give the Mounties a good battle. Player/coach Mark Orchard and Gareth Wallace are in-form batsmen, with Harrison Perry making his mark with the ball.

Second placed Element IMF Cadets are the only other team to have their name engraved on the Baywide Cup trophy.

They travel to Smallbone Park in Rotorua to meet Central, in what could be a game of attrition. While the Rotorua side sit well down the points table, they are the leaders in the Baywide T20 title race and will want to get their Baywide Cup campaign back on track against Cadets.

Eves Realty Greerton batsman Tom MacRury leads the Baywide Cup batting stakes, after smashing 171 in round four of the competition. Tomorrow, Greerton visit Rex Morepeth Park in Whakatane to meet Whakatane United, whose skipper Alex Yates can be almost unstoppable with the bat. With 15 points on offer for an outright victory, there is still the opportunity for sides who sit down the table to grab a spot in the top two.

City Sports Bar Te Puke will have targeted their match with BOP Indians to make a serious move up the ladder. While BOP Indians sit at the bottom of the standings, they have a number of genuine playmakers in their ranks and are capable of providing an upset.

Baywide Cup

Draw, tomorrow: Central v Element IMF Cadets, Smallbone Park; BOP Indians v City Sports Bar Te Puke, Boord Park; Whakatane United v Eves Realty Greerton, Rex Morepeth Park; Tauranga Boys' College v Carrus Mount Maunganui, Nicholson Field.

Points: Carrus Mount Maunganui 61. Element IMF Cadets 54, Eves Realty Greerton 50.5, Tauranga Boys' College 38.5, Te Puke 28, Whakatane United 24.5, Central 23.5, BOP Indians 7.