Cricket: Greerton and Cadets face off in Baywide final

Pace bowler Tommy Clout is one of Greerton's key players in this weekend's Williams Cup final. Photo / File

A highly competitive game between two evenly matched teams is the scenario likely to play out in the 2018 Williams Cup Final at the Bay Oval tomorrow.Eves Realty Greerton and Element IMF Cadets will battle for the premier Baywide cricket prize, which dates back more than eight decades since first contested in the 1932-33 season.

The two sides have travelled contrasting routes to the final. Greerton have led the standings since the opening round in late January, brushing aside all six challengers in qualifying play. Cadets, who sat at the bottom of the standings after the first four weeks of competition, have survived sudden-death cricket to contest the title decider.

Last weekend, Greerton beat Rotorua-based side Bayleys Central Indians in the major semifinal to go directly to the final. Cadets qualified in fourth place and dispatched Carrus Mount Maunganui last Saturday, before eliminating Central Indians in Sunday's preliminary final in Rotorua.

Both sides will be at full strength. Northern Districts all-rounder Brett Hampton returns to the Greerton ranks as his side chases their fourth Williams Cup title. Hampton is a devastating batsman when in full flight and likes nothing better than to take aim at the boundary ropes.

Two other key Greerton players are opening batsman Tom MacRury and pace bowler Tommy Clout, who have both worn the Bay of Plenty representative uniform this season.

Cadets will have three players in captain Jono Boult, Joe Carter and Sean Davey, who have played major association cricket in recent seasons. Boult has been in vintage form, taking two Williams Cup six-wicket bags in the last two weeks. The Cadets skipper is also an accomplished batsman who could trouble the Greerton bowling attack.

A Cadets success would give them their 11th Williams Cup title since 1995 and cement second place overall behind Te Puke, who have won the symbol of Baywide cricket superiority on 16 occasions, since their first triumph in the 1938/39 season.

Williams Cup Final 2018

Eves Realty Greerton v Element IMF Cadets at Bay Oval – 11am start

Williams Cup Victories

Element IMF Cadets: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2017 (10)
Eves Realty Greerton: 1984, 1985, 2012 (3)

Williams Cup Honours Board 2018

Batting (Centuries)
147 – Stephen Nicholls (Central Indians v Lake Taupo)
146 – Tai Bridgman-Raison (Te Puke v Lake Taupo)
109 – Ruben Clinton (Cadets v Mount Maunganui)
103 – Joshua Bates (Element IMF Cadets) v Greerton
Bowling (Five wickets)
6/15 – Jono Boult (Cadets v Mount Maunganui)
6/22 – Jono Boult (Cadets v Central Indians)
5/19 – Gurwinder Singh (Cadets v Lake Taupo CC)
5/46 - James Boyd (Greerton v Cadets)