Central Indians take on cup front-runners

TOP KNOCK: Central Indians' Ryan Neves has a highest score of 42 this season. PHOTO/FILE

In spite of both teams losing a number of players to the Bay of Plenty representative team in the last four weeks, Mount Maunganui and Cadets have continued to lead the Baywide Williams Cup standings.

With the third Hawke Cup direct challenge taking place at the Bay Oval this weekend, both Cadets and Mount Maunganui lose four players apiece to the Bay of Plenty representative match against Nelson. Mount Maunganui, who sit at the top of the table on points differential, travel to Rotorua tomorrow to play Central Indians at Smallbone Park.

Brenton Thompson, in his first season with the Mount club, has been in outstanding form with the bat and has posted just one shy of 200 runs with a highest score of 97.

Mount Maunganui skipper Dale Swan leads the Baywide Cup bowling stakes with 21 wickets, including a five-wicket bag.

The Rotorua side's leading Williams Cup batsman is Stephen Nicholls, who sits in a prominent place in the Williams Cup top 10 batting list. Ryan Neves is one of a number of young players in the Central Indians' lineup and has a highest score of 42 runs. Andrew Gibbs was in sterling form in the Baywide Cup with 15 bowling scalps with Preet Singh having a six-wicket bag to his name in the Williams Cup title race.

Defending champions Te Puke, who made a slow start to their title defence, have had a renaissance in recent weeks. However, they face a big challenge when Cadets pay a visit to Te Puke Domain.

Te Puke batsmen Tai Bridgman-Raison has been in career-best form, smacking his highest score of 174 in the last couple of weeks. However, Cadets also have a master blaster in their ranks, with Morton Freer having scored almost 300 runs in this season's Williams Cup.

Tauranga Boys' College and Greerton complete the weekend Baywide premier draw, meeting at Blake Park three. Greerton's mission will be to cement their third spot in the standing with victory over Tauranga Boys'. The Tauranga students sit in the cellar of the Williams Cup but have been competitive all season and victory over Greerton would be no great surprise.

BOPCA Williams Cup.
Bayleys Central Indians v Carrus Mount Maunganui, Smallbone Park; New World Te Puke v Element IMF Cadets, Te Puke Domain; Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys' College v Eves Realty Greerton, Blake 3. All noon start
Williams Cup Points Table: Carrus Mount Maunganui 40, Element IMF Cadets 40, Eves Realty Greerton 33, New World Te Puke 22, Bayleys Central Indians 15, Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys' College 10.

■ The last Saturday in February heralds the start of the business end of the WBOPCA Reserve Grade competition, with the start of Championship and Plate round-robin competitions.

The top three teams from each of the two pools of the qualifying competition, will meet in head-to-head battles, to find the semifinalists that will fight out the 2017 Reserve Grade Championship.

Lake Taupo CC will head into the Reserve Grade title race tomorrow , wearing the favourites tag, after winning the WBOPCA First Round competition.

The Taupo side were the only team to emerge from the qualifying rounds without a loss and will square off with defending titleholders Te Puke, at Owen Delaney Park.

The crossover championship encounters will match up Whakatane United with Tauranga Boys' College in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, with Greerton and Sikh Sports squaring off at Pemberton Park.

Geyser City and Cadets, who were denied the opportunity to break into the top six by wet weather last weekend, should have a competitive battle at Ray Boord Park in the Plate competition. The games starts at noon.

■ In Rotorua Cricket Association action, Chance Cars Geyser City take on Eastern Pirates at Ray Boord Park, Lake Taupo Cricket Club 2nd XI play Central Reserves at Owen Delany Park and Taupo Old Boys 2 play Taupo Old Boys 1 at Kaimanawa. BOP Indians Reserves have the bye. Games start at 1pm.