Williams Cup cricket: TBC, Lake Taupō, Te Puke after finals spot

Dylan Henderson in action during the Williams Cup match between Tauranga Boys' College and Mount Maunganui. Photo / George Novak

With just three points separating Tauranga Boys' College, Lake Taupō and Te Puke cricket teams, anything could happen in the final qualifying round of the Versatile Tauranga Williams Cup this weekend.

Defending Versatile Tauranga Williams Cup champions Element IMF Cadets, along with Carrus Mount Maunganui and Eves Realty Greerton are already through to play finals cricket in the last two weekends of March. But Bond & Co Tauranga Boys' College, Generation Homes Lake Taupō and New World Te Puke will have to put up a fight for their chance to join them.

A Tauranga Boys' College win over Te Puke will advance them to the playoffs. However, if Lake Taupō are beaten and Te Puke dispatch the students, Te Puke will leapfrog the two to claim the fourth semi-final spot.

Lake Taupō are fifth, but face the huge challenge of a road trip to play Greerton at Pemberton Park in the Western Bay of Plenty.

There will also be plenty of interest in the top of the table encounter, at Blake Park, between competition front-runners Cadets and Mount Maunganui.

At stake is a major home semifinal berth, where the winner will advance directly to the decider at Bay Oval.

Rotorua's Smallbone Park, will see the battle for the wooden spoon between Geyser City and Bayleys Central Indians.

Central Indians, have had an up-and-down season, after finishing fifth in the Bay of Plenty Cup.

Baywide season debutants Geyser City have been competitive in their promotion to Baywide premier cricket, with the icing on the cake being their Williams Cup victory over Lake Taupō.

Williams Cup, March 14 draw:
Mount Maunganui v Cadets, Blake 1; Te Puke v Tauranga Boys' College, Te Puke Domain; Central Indians v Geyser City, Smallbone Park; Greerton v Lake Taupō, Pemberton Park.

Points: Cadets 38, Mount Maunganui 32, Greerton 32, Tauranga Boys' College 22, Lake Taupō 20, Te Puke 19, Geyser City 6, Central Indians 4.