VERSATILE TAURANGA WILLIAMS CUP PRODUCE A MYRIAD OF INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Posted: Friday, 29 January 2021

Three rounds of the Versatile Tauranga Williams Cup, have produced some outstanding individual statistics, which sets the Baywide title race up as the pinnacle competition in Bay of Plenty club cricket.

Leading the run scoring stakes is Element IMF Cadets Tim Pringle with 245 runs, from Bayleys Central Indians Bharat Popli (226) and the Eves Realty Greerton pair of Cameron Neal (202) and Tom MacRury (188). Remarkably Cam Neal's contribution came from a single batting blitzkrieg last weekend, when he hammered 202 not out at Blake Park.

Eight wickets and a season best of 7/10 from Greerton's Dan Spencer heads the Williams Cup bowling lineup. Cadets Fergus Lellman lurks one behind the Greerton bowlers with a five-way tie in third place. Cadets keeper Taylor Douglas and Papamoa's Andrew Goldsmith, have held five catches each, with Douglas effecting three stumpings.

This Saturday (30 January 2021) Tim Pringle has the opportunity to extend his lead at the top of the Williams Cup batting stakes, when Cadets travel to Rotorua, to square off with Bayleys Central Indians at Smallbone Park. Long-time Bay of Plenty representative batsman Bharat Popli, has become the Central Indians anchor since his return to the combined side, with Captain Stephen Nichols another who is a real force when in full flight with the bat.

Generation Homes Lake Taupo, have home track advantage when Papamoa pay a visit to Owen Delany Park in the Great Lake region. Both sides have a player apiece who sit in a prominent position on the individual statistics. Taupo bowler Joe O'Donoghue has been rewarded with good form with the ball with six wickets, while Papamoa's Andrew Goldsmith has taken five catches in the field.

The formbook would suggest the Bond & Co Mount Maunganui will be too good for Craigs Investment Partners Geyser at Mount headquarters at Blake Park. The current Baywide champion of champions, take no prisoners when given a sniff of an opportunity, and the Rotorua visitors could have a long day in the field. However, Geyser bowler Josh Simpson is another to have earned a high place in the bowling stakes and could trouble the Mount batting attack.

Holland Beckett Law Tauranga Boys College and Flying Mullet Te Puke, take an identical one win two loss record, into their encounter at Nicholson Field. Tauranga Boys bowler Darcy Collett has been in good form and could cause problems for the visitors batsmen. Te Puke's Blair McKenzie never gives his wicket away and likes nothing better than giving opposition bowlers headaches, in dispatching deliveries to the boundary.

BOPCA Versatile Tauranga Williams Cup Draw 23 January 2021

Bond & Co Mount Maunganui v Craigs Investment Partners Geyser, Blake Park; Holland Beckett Law Tauranga Boys College v Flying Mullet Te Puke, Te Puke Domain; Generation Homes Lake Taupo v Papamoa, Owen Delany Park; Bayleys Central Indians v Element IMF Cadets, Smallbone Park; Eves Realty Greerton the bye.

Points Table (Provisional) Greerton 21, Cadets 15, Central Indians 14, Lake Taupo 9, Mount Maunganui 8, Te Puke 8, Tauranga Boys College 7, Papamoa 7, Geyser 0.

2021 Versatile Tauranga Williams Cup Leader Boards

Runs: 245 Tim Pringle (Cadets) 226 Bharat Popli (Central Indians) 202 Cameron Neal (Greerton) 188 Tom MacRury (Greerton) 137 – Highest Score 202no Cameron Neal

Wickets: 8 Daniel Spencer (Greerton) 7 Fergus Lellman (Cadets) 6 Josh Earle (Te Puke) Darcy Collett (Tauranga Boys College) James Boyd (Greerton) Joe O’Donoghue (Lake Taupo) Josh Simpson (Geyser) – Best Bowling 7/10 Dan Spencer

Catches: 5 Taylor Douglas (Cadets) 5 Andrew Goldsmith (Papamoa) 4 Scott McKnight (Geyser) 4 Andrew Mascall (Cadets)

Stumpings: 3 Taylor Douglas (Cadets)

Share this page: