Central Indians to take on cup holders

RUNNING: Stephen Nicholls (left) scored 64 for Central Indians last weekend while teammate Rohan Gosai was second highest scorer with 32. PHOTO/FILE A_040217sp2.JPG

Central Indians will host the reigning Baywide Williams Cup champions Te Puke at Smallbone Park tomorrow with high hopes of taking down the trophy holders.

Te Puke's defence has been stuttering to say the least and it wasn't until round five last weekend that they chalked up their first win in the 2017 competition, against Tauranga Boys' College.

It was done in some style, though, in a high scoring game that saw long-time Te Puke player Tai Bridgman-Raison dominate proceedings, smashing the season's highest score of 174.

At the same time, Central Indians fell to Tauranga's Cadets by seven wickets, a result that sees Indians and Te Puke separated by just one point on the table, with only the boys' college below them.

Elsewhere this weekend, Greerton square off with Cadets at Pemberton Park with the Baker Cup, the challenge cup competed for by the five Western Bay of Plenty sides in the Williams Cup competition, sitting on the sideline.

After an indifferent Baywide Cup, Greerton have been in rare form in the Williams Cup, chasing down big targets in the last three weeks to sit at the top of the standings from Mount Maunganui and Cadets.

Their come-from-behind victories have been achieved with a never-say-die attitude that was exemplified when they chased down a massive Tauranga Boys' College total of 341.

Cadets own the rubber between the two sides this season, winning on all three occasions the two rivals have met.

While the Tauranga-based side has again lost three players to the Bay of Plenty Hawke Cup Direct Challenge, they lead both the Williams Cup batting and bowling stakes.

Morton Freer has scored 229 runs to lead the batting stakes, while Kamal Bains, Scott Steward and Ben Christensen hold down the top three spots in the bowling stakes.

Mount Maunganui and Tauranga Boys' College will square off at Tauranga Boys' 2016/17 temporary headquarters at Blake Park three.

A big part of the Mount Maunganui run of form in recent seasons is their man behind the stumps. Mount keeper Matt Golding is super reliable with the gloves and has taken five catches and effected two stumpings in the 2017 Williams Cup.

Tauranga Boys' keeper Tom Renouf is equally agile behind the stumps and lets few balls get away from him.

BOPCA Williams Cup Draw
Bayleys Central Indians v New World Te Puke, Smallbone Park; Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys' College v Carrus Mount Maunganui, Blake3; Eves Realty Greerton v Element IMF Cadets, Pemberton Park. Games start at noon.