Cricket: Opportunity for chasing pack in Bay of Plenty Cup

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Eves Realty Greerton sitting out the Bay of Plenty Cup with the bye on Saturday opens up an opportunity for the chasing pack to reduce the gap at the top of the table.

With valuable Hart Family Trophy points up for grabs, there is still plenty to play for in the remaining three rounds.

Current title holders Bond & Co Mount Maunganui lurk just six points behind the competition front-runners.

This Saturday, the Mount side travels to Smallbone Park in Rotorua to square off with Craigs Investment Partners Geyser.

Victory would propel Mount Maunganui to a share of the lead with Greerton and open the door for a chance to add an eighth Bay of Plenty Cup to their honours board.

While the form book would suggest that Geyser will struggle to reel in the Western Bay side for the winning points on offer, home venue advantage gives the hosts a small window of opportunity.

Pāpāmoa, who will be playing just their seventh Premier encounter since making their Baywide entrance in October, remarkably sit within four points of the top four in their debut season.

Back-to-back victories, based on their batsmen stepping up to the plate, have propelled the side from up the standings. A century apiece from Ben Guild (108no) and Andrew Goldsmith (100) were the ammunition for the two successive wins.

However, standing in the way of third successive Pāpāmoa victory are Baywide heavyweights Element IMF Cadets, who have won 15 Baywide Premier titles in the last three decades.

The Tauranga Domain-based side knows how to dig deep when facing adversity and will pose a big challenge for Pāpāmoa to overcome.

Bayleys Central Indians are sure to want to cement their spot in the Bay of Plenty Cup top four when they visit the Western Bay of Plenty to meet Holland Beckett Law Tauranga Boys' College at Nicholson Field.

The Rotorua combined side, who sit in fourth equal on the standings with Cadets, will need little motivation in their attempt to take home a victory.

However, Tauranga Boys' have a genuine match-winner in their ranks in Tim Pringle, who has the competition's highest score of 118 to his name.

TBC team mentors Tim Clarke and Charles Williams also provide their team with plenty of batting firepower, which could prove a headache for the visitors.

Flying Mullet Te Puke face Generation Homes Lake Taupō at Owen Delany Park with Te Puke keeper Blair McKenzie another to belt a three-figure score this season.

The home side has produced several competitive scores this year and will fancy its chances at home.

Bay of Plenty Cup draw
Geyser v Mount Maunganui, Smallbone Park; Tauranga Boys' College v Central Indians, Nicholson Field; Lake Taupō v Te Puke, Owen Delany Park; Cadets v Pāpāmoa, Tauranga Domain; Eves Realty Greerton the bye.

Points table
Greerton 42, Mount Maunganui 36, Te Puke 28 Cadets 22, Central Indians 22, Pāpāmoa 18, Tauranga Boys' College 18, Lake Taupō 8, Geyser 6.

Bay of Plenty Cup centuries 2020
118 - Tim Pringle (Tauranga Boys' College)
114 - Tom MacRury (Greerton)
115no - Blair McKenzie (Te Puke)
110 - Tom MacRury (Greerton)
108no - Ben Guild (Pāpāmoa)
107no - Taylor Bettelheim (Greerton)
100 - Andrew Goldsmith (Pāpāmoa)