Williams Cup Preview 25th January

Posted: Thursday, 25 January 2018

Time-Honoured Bay Of Plenty Cricket Championship Kicks Off This Saturday

The time-honoured Williams Cup is a fitting prize for Baywide championship, which kicks off this Saturday (27 January 2017) with three games in the Western Bay of Plenty.

The Williams Cup was first presented in the 1932/33 season, when the City Cricket Club, took out the first Bay of Plenty Cricket championship title. Over the years Te Puke lead the most wins list, with 16 Williams Cup crowns, with Otumoetai Cadets having won the Baywide big prize ten times since their first success in 1995.

A measure of the competitiveness of the batsmen and bowlers, is that just two centuries and a solitary six wicket bag, were recorded in last season Williams Cup title race. Long-time Te Puke batsman Tai Bridgman-Raison, blasted the seasons highest score against Tauranga Boys College, smacking 174 runs. A second ton came in the Williams playoffs against Greerton, when he posted his twelve premier century for his club.

Long-serving Cadets all-rounder Ben Christensen grabbed the only six wicket bag of the 2016/17 Williams Cup, taking six wickets for just 13 runs, in his sides win over Te Puke in preliminary Williams Cup action.

This weekend’s opening round, matches defending Williams Cup champions Element IMF Cadets against 2012 champions Eves Realty Greerton, at Pemberton Park. With the two sides losing players, to the Bay of Plenty representative team who are defending the Hawke Cup for the first time this season, both teams will look to their respective Reserve team ranks for replacements.

Carrus Mount Maunganui and New World Te Puke, who have both won the Baywide championship silverware in the last decade, square off at Blake Park. Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys College, fresh from a week long campaign at the Super Eight schools tournament in Napier, will host Bayleys Central Indians at Nicholson Field.

BOPCA Williams Cup Draw – 27 January 2018
Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys College v Bayleys Central Indians, Nicholson Field; Carrus Mount Maunganui v New World Te Puke, Blake2; Eves Realty Greerton v Element IMF Cadets, Pemberton Park; GM Painters Lake Taupo CC the bye.

Williams Cup Champions (2000 – 2017)

2017 (Otumoetai Cadets) 2016 (Te Puke) 2015 (Mount Maunganui) 2014 (Te Puke) 2013 (Mount Maunganui) 2012 (Greerton) 2011 (Mount Maunganui) 2010 (Cadets) 2009 (Tauranga Boys College) 2008 (Mount Maunganui) 2007 (Rotorua Central) 2006 (Cadets) 2005 (Cadets) 2004 (Te Puke) 2003 (Cadets) 2002 (Albion) 2001 (Te Puke) 2000 (AC United)

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