Williams Cup Preview 10th February

Posted: Thursday, 9 February 2017

Baker Cup Goes Full Circle In Williams Cup First Round

The Baker Cup (WBOPCA Challenge Trophy), which is competed for by the five Western Bay of Plenty premier teams within the framework of Baywide Cricket, has gone full circle since the Williams Cup kicked off in early January 2017.

Eves Realty Greerton, started the Baywide Championship with the Baker Cup in its possession, but lost it to Element IMF Cadets on the opening day of Williams Cup competition. Carrus Mount Maunganui relieved Cadets of the challenge prize, before Greerton seized back the Baker Cup last weekend after chasing down the Mount Maunganui target of 233. This weekend Greerton square off with Cadets at Pemberton Park with the Baker Cup 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 Williams Cup standings (by point’s differential) 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 Cooney Lees Morgan 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 stumping’s in the 2017 Williams Cup. Tauranga Boys keeper Tom Renouf is equally agile behind the stumps and lets few balls get away from him.

New World Te Puke, got their first Williams Cup winning runs on the board, when they defeated Tauranga Boys College in a high scoring encounter last weekend. Long-time Te Puke player Tai Bridgman-Raison dominated proceeding, smashing the seasons highest score with 174 runs to his name. This weekend Te Puke travel to Rotorua to play Bayleys Central Indians in a game that could go down to the wire.

BOPCA Williams Cup Draw 11 February 2017
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.

Williams Cup Points Table: Eves Realty Greerton 29, Carrus Mount Maunganui 29, Element IMF Cadets 29, , Bayleys Central Indians 12, New World Te Puke 11, Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys College 5.

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