Cricket: Three teams chase last Williams Cup semifinal spot

Central Indians have qualified for the Williams Cup semifinals with a game to spare. Photo / File

Three Baywide premier teams will battle for the last Williams Cup semifinal spot during the last day of round-robin play tomorrow.Eve's Realty Greerton, who are sitting out the bye this weekend, have secured top position, with Carrus Mount Maunganui and Bayleys Central Indians also qualifying.

A draw between Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys' College and Element IMF Cadets last Saturday opened the door for New World Te Puke to join them in the race for the remaining semifinal berth.

If Cadets defeat Mount Maunganui they will make it through, while a Mount victory would give the winner of the Tauranga Boys' and Te Puke game the opportunity to continue their cricket season.

Cadets, the Williams Cup holders, will play Mount Maunganui at the Tauranga Domain.

Cadets have a match-winning batsman and bowler in their ranks and both appear on the 2018 Williams Cup honours board. Joshua Bates, who has migrated north from Canterbury, blasted a century against Greerton in his Williams Cup debut, while Gurwinder Singh took a five-wicket bag in round five.

Mount Maunganui has maintained a policy of promoting promising talent from the reserve grade with the latest to make his mark being Logan Carr, who posted a half-century against Greerton.

Dan Smith has made his presence felt with both bat and ball and sits in a prominent position in both the Williams Cup batting and bowling stakes.

Tauranga Boys' College and Te Puke will be keeping tabs on the match at the Tauranga Domain, with the winner at Nicholson Field progressing if the Mount beat Cadets.

Tauranga Boys' have four Bay of Plenty development youngsters - Marcel Collett, Ben Pomare, Dominic Crombie and Iman Singh - in their line-up who could make life interesting for Te Puke.

Two Te Puke top order batsmen have been in sterling form with the bat.

Tai Bridgman-Raison posted his 13th premier century last weekend, blasting 146 against GM Painters Lake Taupo.

The next day, Stephen Crossan posted his maiden minor association three-figure score, with a neat 100 for Bay of Plenty against Waikato Valley.

Victory for Central Indians against Lake Taupo would give them a chance at securing a coveted top-two spot. The Rotorua side's current run of form will have them hopeful of repeating their 2007 Williams Cup title victory.

Williams Cup draw - Saturday

Cadets v Mount Maunganui, Tauranga Domain; Tauranga Boys' College v Te Puke, Nicholson Field; Lake Taupo CC v Central Indians, Owen Delaney Park; Greerton the bye.

Points

Greerton 40, Mount Maunganui 25, Central Indians 23, Cadets 15, Te Puke 13, Tauranga Boys College 13, Lake Taupo CC 5.

Williams Cup Honours Board 2018
Batting (Centuries) 146 – Tai Bridgman-Raison (Te Puke v Lake Taupo); 103 – Joshua Bates (Cadets) v Greerton.
Bowling (5 wickets): 5-19 Gurwinder Singh (Cadets v Lake Taupo CC); 5-46 James Boyd (Greerton) v Cadets.