Crunch time for Te Puke and Greerton in cricket Baywide Cup

Greerton captain Shane Wineti has scored 134 runs in the Baywide Cup this season, with a best of 77 not out. Photo / File

A head-to-head shootout between New World Te Puke and Eves Realty Greerton will find the team who play Element IMF Cadets in the Baywide Cup final next weekend.

Entering today'sdecider at the Te Puke Domain, Cadets sit atop the competition standings with a six-point buffer from Te Puke. Greerton lurk in third place and will leapfrog the home side if they triumph today.Both sides have plenty of firepower and team captains, who like to lead from the front, occupying prominent positions on the Baywide Cup batting charts.

Te Puke skipper Stephen Crossan scored his second century for the club last Saturday, blasting an unbeaten 101 off 91 balls. Greerton team leader Shane Wineti likes to work the ball around the field and has posted 134 runs this season, with a best of 77 not out.

Te Puke quick Cam Riley sits in second place on the Baywide wicket list with nine wickets and best figures of 3/25. Dion McCall was in match-winning form for Greerton in Rotorua last weekend, taking four wickets at a cost of just nine runs. The Greerton batsmen will need to keep a wary eye on Stephen Crossan in the field, with the Te Puke stalwart grabbing eight catches so far this season.

Cadets will be heavily favoured to defeat Bayleys Central Indians at the Tauranga Domain. The competition leaders will want to make an emphatic statement ahead of next weekend's title decider.

Joe Carter, fresh off his seventh Bay of Plenty representative century at the ND T20 tournament, could be poised to make another big score against the Rotorua visitors. But Central Indians captain Andrew Gibbs is a quality all-rounder who won't surrender without a real fight.

Carrus Mount Maunganui should get back in the Baywide Cup top four, when they hit the road to play GM Painters Lake Taupo CC in the Great Lake region. Mount Maunganui have had an up and down season but should have too much firepower for the Taupo side in their premier season debut.

The Taupo team have made a respectable start in the premier ranks, which should benefit them in the Williams Cup title race which kicks off in January.

Baywide Cup draw, Saturday

GM Painters Lake Taupo CC v Carrus Mount Maunganui, Owen Delaney Park; Element IMF Cadets v Bayleys Central Indians, Tauranga Domain; New World Te Puke v Eves Realty Greerton, Te Puke Domain; Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys' College the bye.

Points Table

Cadets 28, Te Puke 22, Greerton 19, Tauranga Boys College 16, Mount Maunganui 13, Lake Taupo CC 9, Central Indians 6.