Cricket: Bay of Plenty Cup players hoping for clear skies

The forecast doesn't look good for tomorrow's matches. Photo / file

For the second week running, Bay of Plenty Cup sides look to have another battle with inclement weather conditions after last weekend's four games were eventually rained out.

Weather forecasts suggest the region's premier club players will spend plenty of time on the sidelines on Saturday, waiting for the weather to run its course.

The forecasted rain could end one of the heavyweight contests of Baywide cricket with Bond & Co Mount Maunganui scheduled to square off with arch-rivals Element IMF Cadets at Blake Park.

Last season, the two sides met on three occasions with a dramatic tie grabbing the headlines, and Mount Maunganui taking out the other two encounters.

Cadets batted first when the two sides met in the preliminary T20 competition and posted their opponents a solid target of 148 for the loss of five wickets.

Long-serving Mount Maunganui all-rounder Peter Drysdale anchored his side's reply with a hard-fought 84 runs. The two teams were unable to be separated when Mount Maunganui posted 148/6.

Flying Mullet Te Puke will hope to get a turn at bat this weekend after sitting out the first round bye and then being denied a bat by wet weather last week. Round three matches them up with Craigs Investment Partners Geyser CC at the Te Puke Domain.

Eves Realty Greerton, who have won three of the Bay of Plenty Cup titles since the competition began in 2007, will be keen to take the win points on offer when Pāpāmoa pay a visit to Pemberton Park on Saturday.

Greerton have made a promising start to their inaugural Baywide season with the weather gods likely to deny them further progression in round three.

Generation Homes Lake Taupō accept regular road trips as part and parcel of their Baywide campaigns and will again hit the tar seal this weekend when they travel to meet Holland Beckett Law Tauranga Boys' College in the Western Bay of Plenty.

Tauranga Boys' enjoy the luxury of their own ground in the heart of Tauranga and the picturesque site, which is bordered with trees on one side, provides plenty of sheltered viewing during the summer heat.

Bay of Plenty Cup Draw – November 7
Te Puke v Geyser, Te Puke Domain; Greerton v Pāpāmoa, Pemberton Park; Mount Maunganui v Cadets, Blake1; Tauranga Boys' College v Lake Taupō, Nicholson Field; Bayleys Central Indians the bye.

Points Table:
Mount Maunganui 12, Central Indians 12, Greerton 12, Cadets 12, Geyser 5, Lake Taupō 5, Pāpāmoa 5, Te Puke 4, Tauranga Boys' College 1.