Cricket: Unbeaten Te Puke chasing a home semifinal

Ben Guild posted his maiden premier century in their last Williams Cup game. Photo / Thinkstock

Williams Cup competition leaders City Sports Bar Te Puke, who are the only unbeaten team going into round six of the round robin series, have an eight point break on the other contenders.

Tomorrow they will book a home semifinal if they continue undefeated. However, standing in the way are defending titleholders Mount Maunganui, who have their eyes firmly on back-to-back titles.

With the Bay of Plenty representative season completed, both sides should be at full strength for the match-up at Blake Park. Two key players for Te Puke are Tai Bridgman (202 runs) and Mitch McCann (159 runs) who sit in third and fourth place on the Williams Cup run tally for the season.

Leading the Mount charge for victory will be skipper Peter Drysdale who anchors the top order, while Ben Guild posted his maiden premier century in their last Williams Cup game.

Mount bowler Alex Gooding, who made his Bay of Plenty first team debut last weekend, leads the Williams Cup wicket tally with 13 bowling scalps while Bay quick Tony Goodin is always dangerous with the ball.

Te Puke also have a strong bowling line-up with Jeremy Bates, Josh Bates and Mitch McCann, likely to test the Mount Maunganui batsmen.

Central annexed the Baywide T20 title last week and lurk dangerously in fourth place in the standings.

The Rotorua team should have a good tussle with Tauranga Boys' College at Nicholson Field.

Element IMF Cadets, who sit second equal in the standings, will be favoured to beat Whakatane United in the Eastern Bay. However at home with a full strength side on the field, the sole Eastern Bay of Plenty representatives can trouble any team in the competition.

Eves Realty Greerton are paying the price of a slow start and are again in a situation where they must win on Saturday to keep their semifinals hopes alive. No Baywide side enjoys their cricket more than BOP Indians and they could prove a thorn in the side of Greerton.

Williams Cup (Premier Baywide) Draw, March 8: Whakatane United v Element IMF Cadets, Rex Morepeth Park; Tauranga Boys College v Central, Nicholson Field; BOP Indians v Eves Realty Greerton, Smallbone Park; Mount Maunganui v City Sports Bar Te Puke, Blake Park.

Points: Te Puke 31, Mount Maunganui 23, Cadets 23, Central 19, Greerton 18, Tauranga Boys College 13, Whakatane United 7, BOP Indians 7.