Cricket: Rotorua premier teams looking for first blood

The Bay of Plenty Indians travel to Tauranga this weekend in the Bay Cup. Pictured is Indians player Shonit Chandra appealing for a wicket at Smallbone Park. Photo / Ben Fraser

Rotorua's two premier cricket clubs will go in search of their first victories of the season in the Baywide Cup.

Central Cricket Club will host Tauranga Boys' College at Boord Park tomorrow while the Bay of Plenty Indians travel to Tauranga to play Otumoetai Cadets.

Central will be up against the likes of Tauranga Boys' College first XI mentor Mark Orchard, who leads the way in the batting statistics after two rounds. In round one Orchard blasted an unbeaten 146 runs against East Bay United (Whakatane).

However, the Central bowlers have taken a lot of wickets this season and will be confident they can damage the Tauranga Boys' College top order.

If Central's first two matches are anything to go by it will be their top-order batsmen who need to perform. The side have posted 95 all out and 99 all out in their first two matches.

Element IMF Otumoetai Cadets, one of the Baywide heavyweights in the last two decades, will play their fixture against the Indians on the artificial surface at Ferguson Park.

While the Rotorua visitors sit near the bottom of the standings they have a key strike weapon in Bay of Plenty representative Bharat Popli. The Bay stroke maker has blasted 817 runs for the Bay in just five seasons.

Both games start at noon.

The key match-up tomorrow will take place at Te Puke Domain, where City Sports Bar Te Puke will face competition leaders Mount Maunganui.

Mount Maunganui lead the Baywide Cup standings courtesy of being the only team to complete a match during last Saturday's heavy showers. While Te Puke batted through their innings against BOP Indians, which included a century to skipper Mitch McCann, but the match was abandoned.

The Baywide rulebook then allocated Te Puke the average of the points in the completed Mount versus Central game.

Mount Maunganui spin bowler Dale Swan has made an outstanding start to the season grabbing a handy lead in the season bowling honours. He has taken 10 wickets in just two matches, including a six-wicket bag on opening day.

East Bay United are at home for the first time this season when they host Eves Realty Greerton at Trident High School.

Baywide Cup premier draw tomorrow: City Sports Bar Te Puke v Mount Maunganui, Te Puke Domain; Element IMF Otumoetai Cadets v BOP Indians, Ferguson Park; Central v Tauranga Boys' College, Boord Park; East Bay United v Eves Realty Greerton, Trident HS.