Cricket: Potential semifinals decider

The Bay of Plenty Indians (Rotorua) will go up against Tauranga Boys' College this weekend as they look to record their first victory in the Williams Cup this season. Pictured is Indians bowler Himesh Gosai. Photo / Stephen Parker

The winner of the encounter between Te Puke and Mount Maunganui will take a big step towards a place in the semifinals of the Williams Cup.

Round three of the Baywide Williams Cup competition gets under way tomorrow.

Te Puke and Mount - who have a rivalry which dates back a number of decades - have won both their matches so far in the competition and will do battle at the Te Puke Domain tomorrow.

The in form Mount Maunganui batsman this season is wicketkeeper Tim Clarke, who smashed his second century of the season last Saturday.

His 125 against BOP Indians and 138 earlier in the season sees him as only the second Baywide batsman to post two centuries this season.

Three Te Puke batsmen have reached the magical three figure score this season. Sam Tallott, who travels from Poverty Bay to play for Te Puke, is top of the list with his 132.

Bay of Plenty inter-city rivalry will be on the line when Rotorua Central play Element IMF Otumoetai Cadets at the Tauranga Domain.

Both teams have experienced the joy of lifting the biggest prize in Baywide cricket in the last decade. In 2007, Central won the Williams Cup and Cadets have since won it twice.

Eves Realty Greerton will go into the match-up with Whakatane United at Pemberton Park still hurting from last week's poor performance against Te Puke. The Baywide Cup champions were dismissed for just 77.

Meanwhile, with a full strength side, Whakatane are capable of toppling most teams. The team's batting fortunes usually revolve around the performances of Alex and Tom Yates and long-time club member Stephen Ford.

Joel Mathews bowls with genuine enthusiasm and last weekend took four wickets against a strong Cadets batting line-up.

The Bay of Plenty Indians (Rotorua) and Tauranga Boys' College should have a good tussle at Smallbone Park in Rotorua.

Williams Cup points table:
Mount Maunganui 12, Cadets 12, Te Puke 12, Central 6, Greerton 6, Tauranga Boys College 0, Whakatane United 0, BOP Indians 0.

Williams Cup draw
Saturday (games start at 12pm)
Greerton v Whakatane United, Pemberton Park; Te Puke v Mount Maunganui, Te Puke Domain; BOP Indians v Tauranga Boys' College, Smallbone Park; Otumoetai Cadets v Central, Tauranga Domain.